Konstas has every shot in the technical \u2013 and not so technical \u2013 handbook, but when to play these strokes remains a battle.<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cHe\u2019s got all the tools, and I think he has the ability when he wants to, to absorb pressure. And he\u2019s got the ability to put a lot of pressure back on the bowlers. He\u2019s going to have plenty of experiences, and he\u2019s going to learn from them along the way,\u201d Australian batting great Steve Smith said.<\/p>\n
A century for Australia A in India last month settled the nerves, but a double failure for NSW in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield last weekend in Perth means he is line-ball to hold his place in the team for the Ashes.<\/p>\n
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Heavy hitter: Harry Dixon has based his powerful game on his idol, Australian great David Warner.Credit: Justin McManus<\/p>\n
Harry Dixon (Victoria)<\/p>\n
Age: 20
Tests: 0
It would be unfair to say Dixon is a bull at a gate. But he has modelled his aggressive intent on idol David Warner.<\/p>\n
Dixon has long been on the national selectors\u2019 radar. His century inside a session against England in Worcester during the Australia under-19 Ashes tour of 2023 remains a talking point in cricketing circles.<\/p>\n
While he has batted in the middle order for Victoria, coach \u2013 and former Australian opener Chris Rogers \u2013 told the Cricket Australia website he is considering shifting Dixon to an opening role.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s one player that Harry reminds me of, it\u2019s David Warner. He can play shots that Warner \u2013 and potentially [Travis] Head \u2013 can play,\u201d Rogers said.<\/p>\n
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Rogers says the similarities include Dixon\u2019s ability to hit good balls just outside off stump conventionally through cover point or more unconventionally through the leg side.<\/p>\n
Dixon missed Victoria\u2019s Shield opener against the Redbacks after being selected for the overlapping Australia A one-day series against India A, but fans should brace themselves for the hard hitting to come when he returns to local shores over the next month.<\/p>\n
Will Salzmann (NSW)<\/p>\n
Age: 21
Tests: 0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe definitely knows how to hit the ball,\u201d was one comment from a state talent manager, who wished to remain anonymous, to speak freely. That, clearly, was the case in Perth last weekend when, on his first class debut, the fast-bowling all-rounder cracked 43 (seven boundaries) and 72 (10 boundaries and a six) at No.7 and was named man of the match in the Blues\u2019 74-run win over WA.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was something lurking within, and he found it in his first game; two fantastic innings,\u201d NSW coach Greg Shipperd said.<\/p>\n
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On the rise: Will Salzmann began his Sheffield Shield career last weekend with man-of-the-match honours.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
This continued Salzmann\u2019s strong pre-season form, including a century against Victoria in a scratch match in Sydney.<\/p>\n
While he was given just the one over with the ball in Perth, he will have plenty of opportunity to shine this summer. Hailing from the Campbelltown Camden District Cricket Association, and representing Sydney University in Premier cricket, Salzmann was part of the Australian side that finished third at the 2022 under-19 World Cup, taking 12 wickets in six games, the most of any Australian.<\/p>\n
Injury impacted his 2024-25 season, but he has enjoyed a taste of state white-ball cricket in recent seasons, with the Blues now looking to him to be a consistent threat in all formats.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am really proud of how I have responded physically and the big off-season I have had, but also mentally, tapping into the people in my corner and learning to mature on and off the field. I have high red-ball desires,\u201d Salzmann said.<\/p>\n
Hugh Weibgen (Queensland)<\/p>\n
Age: 20
Tests: 0
Usman Khawaja, a teammate of Weibgen\u2019s at the Valley District Cricket Club, has said he expects \u201cbig things\u201d from the dashing right-hander, and that\u2019s starting to show.<\/p>\n
While he was captain of Australia\u2019s victorious under-19 side at last year\u2019s World Cup in South Africa, and was named captain and No.3 in the team of the tournament with an average of 50.66, Weibgen was made to wait by the Bulls\u2019 selectors.<\/p>\n
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Hugh Weibgen celebrates taking a catch for the Sydney Thunder last summer.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
But no more. For those who witnessed his maiden unbeaten century (115 not out from 94 deliveries) to lift the Bulls to a two-wicket win over WA in their one-day match at Allan Border Field last month, there was a feeling he is destined for higher honours \u2013 and soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s, obviously, a very good young leader, and that\u2019s something that\u2019s going to come into it at some stage. I would love him to be captain in two or three years\u2019 time for Queensland,\u201d Bulls coach Johan Botha said.<\/p>\n
Having spent the northern summer playing in the Surrey Premier League, Weibgen was handed his first-class debut last weekend, lashing 39 off 41 balls as the Bulls crushed Tasmania.<\/p>\n
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He was given a taste of the big time last summer when he was a substitute fielder on day five of the third Test against India, while he had six games with the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.<\/p>\n
A handy off-spin bowler, Weibgen has benefited from working with Queensland batting coach Wade Townsend and former Canada and South Australia all-rounder John Davison.<\/p>\n
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Connolly is one of few Australians to score a half-century as a 16-year-old in an under-19 world cup.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":201749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-201748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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