Australia A caps two first-class debutants against Sri Lanka

Two previously unheralded young bowling talents made their first-class debut in Darwin against Sri Lanka A

Louis Smith was not a name on the radar of many watchers of Australian cricket, but the 19-year-old can claim anonymity no longer.

The teenage Tasmanian right-arm quick was a surprise call-up for Australia A’s opening first-class fixture against Sri Lanka A in Darwin today, answering an 11th hour SOS to bolster the squad for the winter series hit by injury and unavailability.

Finding himself in the right place at the right time when Jack Nisbett was ruled out of the series with a left leg strain, Smith is not without any pedigree.

A tall right arm quick and aggressive lower-order hitter, he plays his summer club cricket alongside former Australia captain Tim Paine for University of Tasmania.

Paine, who is coaching the Australia A side in Darwin for the series against Sri Lanka, drafted Smith in as a net bowler, then presented him with his Australia A cap on Sunday morning, coincidentially 15 years to the day since Paine received his Test cap.

Impressing with a fluid run-up, repeatable action and good pace and carry, Smith was in rapture when a diving Josh Phillippe held onto an edge to land him his maiden first-class wicket.

He snared 1-31 from eight overs on his first day of top-flight cricket, having been playing winter club cricket in Darwin the weekend before.

A bad knee injury saw Smith ruled out for virtually all the 2023-24 summer, and in a bid to make up for lost time has opted to spend the past two winters in Darwin to get more playing time.

It proved to be something of a sliding doors moment for Smith, and while Cricket Tasmania’s Head of Male Pathway Andrew Gale said the 19-year-old was a potential Sheffield Shield prospect, this opportunity has come faster than anyone dared dream.

“There’s not that many state players up to speed this time of year, he’s impressed them and he’s got a fantastic opportunity,” Gale said.

“He’s very dedicated and motivated to become a professional cricketer. He’s got some talent, and we’d class him as a bowler who can certainly bat.

“With young fast bowlers it’s always a case to get them strong and up to speed (after injury). It was frustrating for him, but now he’s got himself fit and is certainly establishing himself,” Gale told News Corp.

“He’s quite an aggressive player with the bat, and with the ball he’s more a seam bowler and stands it (the seam) up.

“He has decent pace, something we’re working on is finding that extra yard.”

One player making their first-class debut for Australia A is unusual enough, but Smith was one of two in that position on Sunday, with 21-year-old Queensland spinner Zanden Jeh also making his first-class debut.

Another making the most of fortuitous timing, with host of Australia’s more established finger spinners overseas either in the Caribbean or county cricket, left-armer Jeh also claimed a maiden wicket when Pavan Rathnayake clipped a low full toss to Kurtis Patterson at mid-wicket.

Jeh made his List A debut for Australia A in the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka last week.

“I was a bit nervous to be honest,” Jeh said after play after finishing with 1-59 from 11 overs.

“I felt I started alright, but probably lost my way a bit through the middle there and when you do that to quality batsmen they’ll put you away.

“It is what it is, but I felt like I came back pretty nicely and finished the day not too bad.”

Australia A skipper Jason Sangha sent the Sri Lankans in at Marrara Stadium, and saw Sonal Dinusha score a superb unbeaten century to prop up the visitors’ innings of 272.

Dinusha, who took three wickets on his Test debut against Bangladesh late last month, reached his eighth first-class century when he launched back-to-back fours off Campbell Kellaway just before the second new ball was taken.

He finished not out on 105 from 148 balls, with 10 fours and a six, helping salvage a Sri Lanka A innings that had looked set for collapse at 5-89, and where the next top score was No.3 Nuwanidu Fernando’s 34.

Henry Thornton took a superb return catch and finished with 2-31 from 14 overs while Liam Scott claimed 2-27 in taking the first and last wickets of the day.

Australia A v Sri Lanka A series

July 4: First one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

July 6: Second one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

July 9: Third one-dayer, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

July13-16: First four-day match, Marrara Stadium, Darwin

July 20-23: Second four-day match, Marrara Cricket Ground, Darwin

All matches live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, and via Kayo Sports. All matches start 10:30am AEST.