Local teenagers Callum Smith and Abdul Raheem have spent the last few months focusing on representative cricket honours with the ACT Emerging Comets U15.
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In September last year, both boys were nominated by Goulburn and District Junior Cricket association selectors to trial for selection with ACT Emerging Comets, which saw a number of Southern Tablelands and ACT players take part.
After a two month trial period both players were rewarded for their efforts with selection in the team.
Both players competing in the NSW District Cricket Association (DCA) U15 Weblin Shield competition against Sydney-based teams, which ran from October to December and more recently in the Western NSW Junior Cricket Carnival held in Orange in January, which included both Sydney and regional NSW teams.
Both boys had standout results with bat and ball in the six Weblin Shield fixtures played.
Callum, in the role of opening fast bowler, took 12 wickets with best figures of 6-35 off 10 overs against Penrith. Callum also played a key role with the bat scoring 79 runs from four innings, resulting in an average of 26.33 which included 34 against Canterbury and Western Suburbs.
Similarly, Raheem played a key role with both bat and ball, making 49 runs from four innings at an average of 16.33 which included a score of 33 against Parramatta in their quarter-final match. He also secured best bowling figures of 2/27 off nine overs against Penrith in the fourth round.
The ACT Emerging Comets made the quarter finals before they were knocked out by Parramatta.
In the Western NSW Junior Cricket Carnival, Raheem excelled with the bat and made 143 runs from four
innings, which included 77 opening the batting against Penrith in their semi-final match and 66 not out opening the batting in their second round match against Mitchell.
Callum again played a key role as the opening bowler for the Comets with best bowling of 1/24 off 8 overs in their semi-final match against Penrith.
The ACT Comets finished third in the completion being beaten by Penrith in their semi-final who were eventual competition winners.
“Callum made a significant impact as the opening bowler and stood out with the ball,” ACT Emergin Comets coach Rukshan Abeyaratne said.
“He consistently bowled accurate lines and lengths and his pace was a handful to many of the best batsmen in the competition.
“His hard work was rewarded with wickets resulting in him being listed in the top 10 bowlers the competition.
“Raheem played a key role with bat and ball with his best results being achieved in Orange at the Western NSW Junior Cricket Carnival. His batting was a standout where he showed great patience, concentration and resilience to make 77 runs in our semi-final against Penrith,” Abeyaratne added.
