Consistent performances at Sheffield Shield level from MCC paceman Chris Tremain have raised the prospect of earning higher honours in the long form of the game.
The 25-year-old tall fast bowler made his first-class debut for NSW against Victoria in 2012. He joined Victoria, and MCC, in 2014 after limited opportunities with the Blues.Tremain has started the current Shield season in sparkling form, taking 16 wickets at 14.56 while helping the Bushrangers to victory in its first three matches of the season.
With Australian cricket commencing a self-declared rebuild, Tremain is one of several younger players to have been mentioned as possible Test inclusions as the summer unfolds.
The national selectors clearly have their eyes on him, having granted him his one-day international debut on the tour to South Africa in October, where he took seven wickets in four matches. Former MCC paceman Dan Worrall was also chosen to make his debut in that series.
Tremain is just one of several MCC players to have earned representative selection as the new Premier Cricket season got underway.
Fellow quickie Jackson Coleman made his Victorian limited overs debut in a Matador Cup match in October, while four MCC players – Coleman, Seb Gotch, Sam Harper and Blake Thomson – acquitted themselves well in a Victorian XI v South Africa match on the MCG in November.
Batsman Patrick Rowe was selected in the Cricket Australia XI to play in this year’s under 19 national championships in Adelaide, following his performances at the under 17 carnival in Queensland.
In Premier Cricket, some patchy weather in the early rounds of the season has contributed to a slow start for our men’s teams. After seven rounds, our First XI sits outside the eight with three wins, two washout draws and two losses. The best performers thus far are batsmen Gotch (204 runs at 68.00), Matthew Brown (302 runs at 60.40) and Thomson (237 runs at 59.25), while Pat Smith is our leading wicket taker with eight.
Our women’s teams are in much better early-season form. The First XI is on top of the ladder with four wins from five matches, as is our undefeated women’s Premier Reserve team.
In the women’s First XI, Amy Vine has scored 269 runs at 67.25 and Hayley Jensen 186 runs at 93.00. Natalie Plane has taken 11 wickets at 11.00, ably supported by Jensen and Tegan Orwin, with eight and six wickets respectively.