There’s no stumping Ashton Young when it comes to his cricketing future.
The 16-year-old Notre Dame student recently earned the tap for Victoria Country’s under-17 Male Emerging Players Squad, but he’s largely unfazed, though quietly excited, about being named one of the 22 best regional talents throughout the state.
Young, a flashy all-rounder who plays with Old Students and Melbourne Cricket Club, was listed in company alongside Katamatite’s Kepler Lukies for the program which aims to tune up the youngsters’ technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects of the game.
Rest assured, he can’t wait to open the shoulders and crack on.
“When I found out it was pretty exciting, but otherwise I’m looking forward to things,” Young said.
“I knew from other tournaments that was how I was going to get picked, how I performed in those. But I didn’t expect to make anything really.
“It should be good, it’s good experience.”
The program’s pre-season phase started on Sunday with players spending time at Melbourne’s Junction Oval under the scrupulous eye of Victoria Country head coach Shane Koop.
Young and Lukies, who was recently called up to the Phillipines national side, will partake in games during the September school holidays ahead of some further trial games in October, while January’s National Championship teams will be finalised in November.
“It’s about an eight-week program, we go up to Melbourne and train at Junction Oval every Sunday,” Young said.
“We spend about four hours there working on different skills, whether it’s our batting or bowling, our mental side and strength and conditioning ― just different aspects of cricket.
“This is my first year in the Cricket Victoria program. In under-12s I made the School Sports Vic program, but this’ll be a bit different to that ― more structured I guess.”
Young enjoyed a ripsnorting campaign with bat and ball during the 2022-23 season.
The swashbuckling youngster chalked up 735 runs at an average of 33.41, while taking 41 wickets at 17.51, performing in Victorian Premier Cricket’s Dowling Shield while also starring for Old Students.
He played 11 games of Haisman Shield and also guided Students’ under-16s to a flag last season, with club coach Gino Saracino lauding the cricket-mad teen for his dedication.
“From a coaching perspective last year, his commitment, like a lot of those boys that we had through our A-grade and B-grade and all the rep cricket stuff,” Saracino said.
“Cricket’s obviously a big thing for him and his performance dictated it last year.
“He’s probably equally adept at both, he’s a really good bat, he’s a really good bowler, but he’s just such a level-headed kid. From our end we’re super impressed.
“Him, along with Sam O’Brien, Oscar Lambourn, Andre Gagliardi to name a few, they’re already in programs down in Melbourne.
“He’s certainly one of many that we’ve got at our club that we look forward to their progress and if they progress to the next level that’s a massive win for our club.”
The next level is beckoning for Young and it seems he’s just a dash between the wickets away from becoming a bona fide superstar.
But that’s not why he pads up. For him it’s much more simple.
“Playing with your mates ― that’s why I play cricket I guess.”