Cricket Australia's male and female underage tournaments are back next month after two seasons off, however Western Australian teams won't feature this year
U19 National Championships to return in April
After a two-year absence, the Under-19 National Championships return in April with the country's best teenaged male and female players to don their state colours once again.
The championships had been on hold for the past two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite which Australia finished third at this year's male U19 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The first female U19 World Cup will be held next year – having originally been scheduled for 2021 – and this year's national championships will be an important building block to that tournament.
However, Western Australia has withdrawn their sides from the competition this season, citing concerns about quarantine for teenagers.
"If our players tested positive or were deemed a close contact they would have to self-isolate in a hotel room, which could mean they were left by themselves in another state at the end of the competition," WA Cricket CEO Christina Matthews said.
"We didn't want to put our under-age players in that situation."
It means the likes of 17-year-old gun young batter Teague Wyllie, who was named in WA's Marsh Sheffield Shield squad for their current match against NSW and Australia's U19 World Cup captain Cooper Connolly, won't be given the chance to test their skills against many of their teammates from that tournament.
But many of the stars from the side that finished third during their recent trip to the West Indies will be headlining their state teams, with Campbell Kellaway (Victoria Metro), Aidan Cahill (ACT/NSW Country) and William Salzmann (NSW Metro) all poised to feature.
The female tournament is littered with familiar names too, with Sydney Thunder young gun Phoebe Litchfield (ACT/NSW Country) and Melbourne Stars fast bowler Tess Flintoff (Victoria Metro) set to star for their respective sides.
CA Head of National Development Graham Manou said the championships are an integral part of Australian cricket's pathway system.
"The past two years have presented many challenges and it is brilliant that we are now able to bring Australia's most talented young players together to showcase their development in April," he said.
"We thank the State and Territory Associations for their support and collaboration in making the Championships possible and look forward to working with them to ensure a safe and successful finish to the season."
The male championships will be held in Mackay from April 7 to 14, while the female tournament will take place in Adelaide, also from April 7 to 14.
A full National Championships program is expected to return in the 2022-23 season.