Four Emerging Tigers development players named in Tasmania’s squad for T20 pre-season matches in Darwin
The Tasmanian Tigers will take a new-look squad to Darwin for their first competitive matches of the pre-season but a veteran is still in their planning for one-day matches later this season.
While they will arrive in Darwin with a nod to the past, the Tasmanian Tigers men’s program is set to blood plenty of new faces in the Top End T20 pre-season tournament beginning on Saturday.
Tasmania has named a 14-player squad for the week-long tournament with the majority of the squad selected either new recruits, regular second XI players or young stars apart of the Emerging Tigers program.
Regular senior players Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Charlie Wakim and Tim Ward will all make the trip while Kieran Elliot – a paceman who made his Shield debut late last season before earning a full-time contract for this summer – will also play.
Off-season recruits Will Prestwidge and Rafael MacMillian will don Tigers colours for the first time with development program players Zac Curtain, Lachlan Clark, James Scott and Louis Smith all likely to do the same.
The T20 tournament will also be the first time the Tigers don their new retro inspired kits that both the male and female programs will run out in this summer.
While he may not have every first-choice player available for their first competitive matches of the pre-season, Tigers coach Jeff Vaughan was excited at the opportunity that creates for those eager for an opportunity.
“It’s our first opportunity to get into a centre wicket or into a match environment, so we’ll be a little bit behind in that regards and we certainly understand that,” Vaughan said.
“(We will) play some players in some different roles and give them some exposure to different expectations across a newish format.
“We’re taking four of our pathway players as well, so there’s going to be some excitement around some of the younger guys.
“There’ll be some leadership opportunities. Different players will captain through the week and players will play in some different positions. We’ll certainly go up there and aiming to win games and win the tournament.”
The full schedule for both the Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup competitions was released late last month with Tasmania on the road for the opening months of the season before returning home to Bellerive Oval in November.
The Tigers will face Victoria and Queensland in 50-over clashes on September 23 and September 25 before consecutive four-day clashes against Victoria and Western Australia.
They’ll play WA in one-day action on October 25 before both sides meet in Hobart on November 1 for their second Shield clash of the 2024-25 season.
“We obviously play a little bit more on the road at the start of the season due to conditions (in Hobart) and making it a bit harder to get some wickets, so we need to play well early and get some wins, which is what we did really well last year,” Vaughan said.
After announcing his retirement from first-class cricket ahead of the Sheffield Shield final last season, Vaughan confirmed veteran Matthew Wade was still set to play in one-day matches for Tasmania this summer.
Tasmanian Tigers squad for Top End T20 tournament: Gabe Bell, Lachlan Clark, Zac Curtain, Nick Davis, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Rafael MacMillan, Jack Montgomery, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, James Scott, Louis Smith, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward
Originally published as Four Emerging Tigers development players named in Tasmania’s squad for T20 pre-season matches in Darwin
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