NORTH Sportsman’s cricketer Matthew McInerney has been announced as the youngest player ever to captain the South Australian Outbacks cricket side, which will contest the Australian Country Cricket Cup in January 2019.
At just 21 years of age he will be joined at the top of the list by fellow Limestone Coast player Dion Stratford as vice captain.
It was a position McInerney had given no real thought to, but once the call came he was more than happy to take on the role.
“I am very honoured,” McInerney said.
“It is my fourth year in the side and I think this is the added responsibility I need to not just go through the motions, to value my wicket a bit more, to grit my teeth and work harder.
“It is huge for me personally.
“I am happy to take it on, knowing there are the right blokes around me.
“It is a dream really.”
Being the youngest captain of the side, coupled with the fact it is obviously his first time in the main role for the Outbacks, does not seem to bother the young player.
McInerney said he feels confident to take on the job considering the experience he has around him.
He said Stratford would be a big help, with the wicket keeper able to assist with setting the field and provide another experienced head to bounce ideas off.
“I’m confident I have enough support there with Dion as vice captain,” he said.
“Keeping in these carnivals is huge and I think the coach wanted him in a leadership capacity, but not in the top job because there is so much going on behind the stumps.
“I will be in the slips with Kieran (Ashby), so it should work well.”
In all there are five current players from the South East region in the side, with McInerney, Stratford, Ashby and Nick McInerney from the Mount Gambier association and Luke Wiese from Mundulla.
Ben Parish is another originally from the region with roots in Beachport, but currently playing in the Barossa Valley, now in his ninth year with the Outbacks.
Another bonus is just two new faces come into the side, which McInerney said would be useful out on the ground.
“All those guys have played a lot of Country Cup together,” he said.
“That is pretty handy.
“Everyone knows how it works so I think we will be right.”
The competition kicks off on January 3 in Shepparton, which includes four Twenty20 games and four one-day games.
East Asia Pacific in not included this year, which leaves the Outbacks up against New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland.
“It is a lot of cricket,” McInerney said.
“But the team includes all-rounders and young blokes who can back it all up over the 10 days.”
McInerney has one goal to achieve in his first year in the top job, which is simply to improve from the last tournament.
“Last year we let ourselves down in a couple of games through inexperience,” he said.
“We lost key moments.
“With two days to go we still could have won, but we missed a lot of opportunities.
“I am confident we can go all right this year.”
South Australian Outbacks team: Captain Matthew McInerney; vice captain Dion Stratford; Ben Parish; Kieran Ashby; Sean Nottle; Joe Brown; Nick McInerney; Brodie O’Dea; David Goulder; Chris Graser; Peter Wilson; Alex Hosking; Luke Wiese; Nathan Van Eekeran.
