The rise of Werribee cricketer Matthew Watt continues.
Having represented his state at the under-15 national championships earlier this year, Watt recently returned from the under-17 national championships, in which he played for a Cricket Australia XI side selected on the strength of performances at the under-15 event.
“We were a bottom-age side playing against top age teams,” he said.
“We won two of eight matches and tied another match against Tasmania. We played some really good cricket but unfortunately lost a few games.
“The side gelled really well … we all met up just three days beforehand.”
Watt is the first to admit he didn’t have the best tournament at the under-17 event in Queensland, but he said he would learn from the experience.
“I only took one wicket and made six runs,” he said.
“It was a great experience to bowl to players like Austin Waugh [son of former Australian captain Steve]. They were tough players to bowl to.”
The medium-to-fast bowler only found out a month before the tournament that he would be playing.
“The bowling coach from Cricket Victoria said that he believed I would get a chance,” he said.
“ I was excited to get the opportunity.”
Returning home from Queensland, the 16-year-old’s attention has quickly turned to local cricket with Werribee.
He’s playing in both the juniors and senior for the Victorian Sub-district Cricket Association club.
“I started playing cricket at under-9s at Werribee Centrals,” he said.
“At under-13s, I moved over to Werribee and we won a flag the first year. Centrals didn’t have a team so I moved across with my mates.”
A move to Premier Cricket in the next couple of years looks inevitable – he’s already had one offer to play in the state’s top competition.
“I had an offer to play at Footscray Edgewater,” he said.
“I want to keep growing at Werribee first and then I’ll hopefully make the move to Premier Cricket.”
Watt has his fingers crossed that he will be part of the Australian under-16 team that will travel to Dubai to take on Pakistan in a limited overs series.
He was named as a standby player.
Watt is the monthly nominee for the Don Deeble Rising Star Award.
The award is run by Sunshine Western Region Sports Club and
Star Weekly.
Watt will receive $1000 donated by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club and other prizes that will assist him in achieving his sports goals.
The Don Deeble Rising Star Award recognises young athletes in the western suburbs who have achieved outstanding results at a state and/or national level.
