2025/26 Scholars

KASEY BARTON

Club: Mosman Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-arm fast

Hailing from the Illawarra, Kasey is a right arm fast bowler who plays for Mosman when in Sydney and last year was selected for NSW Country in both U17 and U19.

Kasey has a rhythmical approach and can generate good pace combining this with his competitive nature makes him an exciting player with two years still left in the U19 age group.

OLIVIA CALLAGHAN

Club: Gordon Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat & right-arm off spin

Olivia is an outstanding top order batter who can bowl very handy off spin. She stepped up at Premier Cricket this season, playing a full season in First Grade.

Olivia finished as the 4th leading wicket taker with 22 wickets and 14th leading run scorer with 360 runs across the season. She also took 11 wickets and scored 120 runs at the U19 National Championships for NSW Metro.

Olivia has a bright future ahead of her and has the opportunity to become a key allrounder in any team that she plays in.  

YASH DESHMUKH

Club: Fairfield-Liverpool Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-arm leg spin 

Currently a student at Hurlstone Park Agriculture High School, Yash captained the NSW U17 Metro side to victory last season and played first grade for Fairfield Liverpool.

A dynamic batsman, with flexibility to bat in multiple positions, he is a right arm leg spinner with good bounce, Yash was selected on a spinners’ development camp with Cricket Australia in April where he was very impressive with both bat and ball.   

LUCY FINN

Club: St George-Sutherland Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat & right-arm fast bowler

Tall, fast bowling all-rounder Lucy dominates attacks with the bat.

Lucy had an outstanding U19 National Championships in 2024, following up a breakout year the season prior. She played a crucial role for the U19 NSW Metro side, scoring her maiden U19 hundred against Victoria Country scoring 109 off 96 balls.

Lucy finished in the top 10 run scorers in the Sydney Premier First grade competition alongside taking 12 wickets with the ball and was on standby for the Australian team for the 2025 U19 World Cup in January. 

AUSTIN HUNT

Club: Dubbo CYMS

Playing Style: Right-arm fast

Calling Dubbo home, Austin is a high-school student and right arm fast bowler who played for NSW Country U17 last year.

Austin can bowl 130kph, combined with strong athleticism and a great work ethic.

His raw pace is something that excites those around him. 

JOHN JAMES

Club: Northern District Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-arm medium-fast & right-hand bat

From the Central Coast, John is currently a university student studying Sports Science.

A right arm fast bowler and right-hand middle order batter, John is a genuine allrounder and plays his cricket at Northern Districts.

John can generate good pace with the ball and has power with the bat and simple but effective technique makes him a real asset to the middle order in any side.   

ALEX LEE-YOUNG

Club: Mosman

Playing Style: Right-hand bat & Wicket Keeper

Currently studying at university, Alex plays for Mosman in First Grade.

Alex is a right-hand batter and wicket keeper. Having played NSW U19s and NSW 17s in previous years, Alex was also selected in Australian U19 squad that toured India in 2024.

Alex is a technically sound batsman who is as much at home at the top of the order as he is in the middle order with his play of spin exceptional.

Alex's keeping is athletic while standing back and proficient up to the stumps.

KATE MCTAGGART

Club: Northern District Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat, right-arm medium

Kate’s leadership at the U19 Nationals Champions was again a standout, leading her team from the front with the bat, scoring 292 runs across the tournament finishing as the 5th leading run scorer for the Championships.

Kate also had a fantastic Premier Cricket season finishing in the top 20 First Grade runs scorers and took 13 wickets across the season. 

JULIETTE MORTON

Club: St George-Sutherland Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat, right are leg spin

Juliette backed up her previous season with great performances at the U19 National Championships as well as Sydney Premier cricket, where she finished as the third leading wicket taker in First Grade.

Juliette was rewarded for her performances and talent with the ball with selection in the Australia Team at the 2025 U19 World Cup.   

EMILY POWELL

Club: Sydney Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat, right-arm leg spin

Emily showed her enormous potential with both bat and ball this season in Sydney Premier cricket, finishing as the 7th leading First Grade run scorer amassing 410 runs, while also taking 20 wickets with her crafty leg spin and finishing 11th on the wicket takers list. T his potential was also seen in her first full season in the U19 program at the National Championships, playing crucial roles in many games scoring 152 runs and taking 10 wickets across the championships.

Emily was rewarded with an invitation the U19 Australian Lanning/Perry camp in April earlier this year.  

NITESH SAMUEL

Club: Parramatta Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat

Finishing high school last year, Nitesh is exploring the opportunity to study Medicine at university.

Nitesh is a right-hand opening bat, who contributed to Parramatta's Belvidere Cup premiership last season.

Nitesh possesses the concentration to bat for long times and the ability to play off both feet, with plenty of potential on offer.  

HAYLEY ZAUCH

Club: Sydney Cricket Club

Playing Style: Right-hand bat & Wicket Keeper

Hayley is a very talented wicket keeper and top order batter.

She showed this for her club side Sydney in Premier Cricket tallying over 400 runs with the bat and finishing as the leading wicket keeper in Second Grade with a total of 17 dismissals.

Hayley was selected in the U19 Country side for the National Championships where she finished with 12 dismissals, including 9 stumpings.

Earlier in the season Hayley was rewarded with selection in an Australian U19 squad to play an international tri series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.