Joel selected in state team

Casey-South Melbourne youngster Joel Mitchell will represent his state in the Under 19 National Championships. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS 174820_01

By Nick Creely

Casey-South Melbourne batsman Joel Mitchell has a certain confident approach to his cricket that is quite rare in young cricketers, and he only has “one gear” to his game.
While the 19-year-old Gippsland Pride product – who has shades of a young David Warner – continues to develop his game down at Casey Fields, the Victorian selectors rewarded his progress last week with selection in the Victorian Country Under 19 team for the National Championships in Tasmania through December.
With the best young cricketers in the country set to lock horns in a carnival that showcases the next crop of state cricketers, the aggressive and daring opening batsman certainly believes he has what it takes.
“I’m pretty excited – I did well up at the Barooga trials, and they obviously see enough talent to pick me,” he said.
“I made a 70, a 60 and a 40 not out in the three games up there on good, quick wickets in NSW so it was good.
“We have a pretty strong batting side, with guys like Tom Rogers from Melbourne University, James Ryan at Essendon, myself obviously, Tom Ewing, and others as well – it’s a pretty good side I reckon.”
On Saturday – only days after being named in the Victorian side, Mitchell struck 92 in the second XI – his first half century in 34 innings at Premier level, a knock that included 10 fours and two sixes, as his Swans defeated Frankston Peninsula.
It’s an exciting step forward for the swashbuckling opener with high ambitions of his cricketing future, with his confidence in his ability a standout feature in an opening month of the season that has netted him 190 runs at 31.7, all at an impressive strike rate of 86.7.
“Obviously this year I’ve gotten a few starts, and I’ve done that a lot – the ones boys are always in my ear telling me how good I look when I’m batting, I just need to go on with it a bit more,” he said.
“I need to go on with starts – I’ve been known as the king of the 30s at Casey.
“In most games this year I’ve played against blokes I’m trying out against, and they haven’t got me out, I’ve got myself out.
“I’ve been pretty unlucky at times this year – against Ringwood I smoked one back to the bowler and he just stuck one hand out and against Essendon I chopped one on.
“That’s why the ones boys are always in my ear, because they know I’m good enough, I just need to apply myself – they say to me I should be playing with them.”
“I really want to play first XI cricket, and try and make a hundred in the twos, or maybe a couple of 70s – but I’m just really excited to play Vic Under 19s, anything can happen down there.
“If I make a couple of big scores, who knows what can happen.”
And although the club is struggling on field as they continue to develop a core group of cricketers, Mitchell is loving his time down at the Swans.
“We have a very young club, I think the oldest bloke in the ones and twos is Peter Sofra, and he’s the captain,” he said.
“It’s exciting.”
To follow the live scores of the Carnival, which will run from 4 to 15 December, head to the MyCricket app and CA Pathway Twitter account.