Menzies reaches rare 10th underage nationals at U19 champs

Tom Menzies might not be the oldest cricketer at the U19 National Championships but he would certainly have to be one of the most experienced.

Remarkably, Menzies is playing in his 10th underage national tournament, and his fourth at U19s level at this year's carnival in Adelaide.

This year is the first time the 19-year-old is representing South Australia after making a move to the City of Churches from Darwin where he grew up playing for the Darwin "Eagles" Cricket Club.

Menzies' other national underage campaigns are made up of an U17 championships, two in the U15 School Sport Australia National Championships and three in the U12s.

The Darwin born-and-bred fast bowler was the youngest member of the Australia U19s squad to tour the UK in 2023.

He has also benefited from appearing in the Top End Series and NT Strike League as a top local prosect playing with and against talented players from outside the Territory looking to play through Australia's winter months in Darwin’s dry season.

Menzies was one of the locals who got the chance to ply his craft against the big guns, at age 17. Current Melbourne Renegades opening combo Jake Fraser-McGurk and Josh Brown and South Australia quick Wes Agar, who is now a housemate in Adelaide, were among those the teen was playing with and against. 

And outside the NT representative tournaments, Menzies would take the field for Darwin CC in the local competition. Off seasons would then be the time when the underage tournaments came along for Menzies during Darwin’s wet season (summer for the southern states) so once the cricketing action was done locally, his cricketing would continue interstate with the representative NT side.

It culminated into a feast of cricket which barely any junior cricketer around the globe could match.

More recently, rather than a season in the Top End, Menzies took his talents to the UK where he played for Leatherhead in Surrey.

A move to South Australia in 2023 where he has a domestic cricket team on his doorstep has elevated his game and opportunities in front of him.

His time with Kensington, the home club of Sir Donald Bradman, in his first season in SACA Premier Cricket and Adelaide University in season 2024-25, plus training opportunities with South Australia has lifted his game. 

“This is probably the most prepped I have ever been for an underage tournament,” Menzies told cricket.com.au ahead of the U19s tournament.

Speaking about the number of cricketing opportunities he has had including the chance to face some of the top professionals in the country, Menzies said he tried to keep it in perspective.

“I try to keep it to myself a lot in the changeroom, not get too ahead of myself because I know I am just as young as everyone else in the team,” he said.

“But I have just turned 19 and it feels like I have played a lot of cricket.

“Getting to experience for the last three seasons being in changerooms with professionals who come up to Darwin from all over Australia has just been amazing.

“I just try to sponge up everything I can.”

Looking back on his journey, Menzies saw his time playing with the professionals for the NT Strike in the Top End Series and in the Strike League as one of his career highlights.

“The 2022 season, I think that is when I really fell in love with the game,” he said.

“I saw why people train so hard, hours on end.

“It was probably the most fun I have ever had. I was lucky enough to play in the Strike League.

“With the NT, we are very lucky with the way we are set up, a few of the juniors get to play in the Strike League competition.

“I was playing in a team with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Wes Agar, James Bazley, Josh Brown, all these names.

“As a young NT kid to learn from them is a pretty surreal experience but also getting to play teams they bring up like Pakistan A, Bangladesh A, the Big Bash academy teams (in the Top End Series).

“For young cricketers from the NT to get a chance like that, credit to (CEO) Gavin Dovey, (former CEO) Joel Morrison, (Head of Cricket at the time) Darren Treumer, like the work and hours they put in to get these opportunities for us but also making it happen in the NT.

“I am very grateful for that, everything they have done, you can’t go past that.”

Menzies also expresses his luck in meeting Agar in Darwin who he now lives with in Adelaide.

“And I was very lucky to meet Wes especially, he has been kind enough to house me while I’m in Adelaide," he said.

“So I’m his little bunker boy in his house in Adelaide.”

Having left Darwin for further progression and opportunities, Menzies expressed great respect for NT Cricket.

“I could talk about them (NT Cricket) all day for everything they have done and the opportunities they have given me,” he said.

“I cannot be more grateful for that.

“I’m very lucky and proud of where I have come from”

In another tail to Tom's story, his brother Max is also in action at the U19s tournament in Adelaide playing for the NT. 

It awaits to be seen if the pair will come face-to-face in the championships.