Brock Morley is proof of the rewards that hard work and determination can bring.
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The 16-year-old will make his Central North debut at this week’s Country Colts carnival, and in home surrounds nonetheless.
It will be a special experience, and Morley can’t wait to face up to ACT Southern at No.1 Oval on Monday.
He won’t be the only home grown talent pulling on the baggy red with Toby Whale also part of a side that will be led by Whale’s Bective East team-mate Coby Cornish.
Both are relishing the opportunity to play in such a big carnival on home soil and preparing for the toughest week’s cricket of their careers.
Whale has bit of an idea what to expect having been part of a Kookaburra Cup campaign a few years back.
“I just remember the step up I had to do,” he recalled.
“I’m looking forward to the push, looking forward to the challenge.”
For Morley though it is all new. A comparative late bloomer, he only started playing cricket three years ago and had never been selected in a Northern Inland side before this season.
“I played cricket for school (Carinya) and got asked to play a one-off game for South Tamworth,” Morley explained.
It was the only game he played that season but he had been bitten by the cricket bug and the next season signed up and played third grade. Last season he started out in second grade but by seasons end found himself into the top side.
“I made my debut in the one-day final, which was pretty daunting,” he said.
This season he has acquitted himself admirably stepping up to open the batting, chalking up two half-centuries.
The second of those - a 69 - came two weeks ago and has given him a lot of confidence going into this week.
“I’ve been training a lot and starting to see some results,” Morley said.
He has been particularly working hard on his batting, but also his fitness.
That was something he took away from the Michael Clarke Cricket Academy camp he attended a few years ago to try and improve his skills after missing out on the Tamworth rep side.
Rather than being deterred by his disappointment, it only made Morley more determined.
Not long after returning from the camp, he received a call to see if he could fill in for the Tamworth under 16s rep side.
Fourteen at the time, Morley batted down the order and won the game for them with an unbeaten 38.
The following year he made the side.
Again last season after unsuccessfully trialing for the Northern Inland side, rather than let that disappointment fester, Morley looked for some local one-on-one coaching and linked up with Dave Mudaliar.
He said the Wests skipper has been great and especially helped him with his mental approach to batting.
“Having a plan when I’m batting, instead of just going out there and hitting every ball,” he said.
His last carnival as a junior, Whale said it is a good opportunity to prove to the the selectors what he can do.
The carnival will be a starting point for selection in the under 19 sides for the State Challenge, and from there the ACT/NSW Country side.
“I had a few goals and this (Central North) was one of them with cricket,” Whale said.
“Obviously I’d like to score a few runs through the carnival.”
He has made a lot of starts this season but hasn’t pushed on to that big score.
“I feel I’ve got the skillset to score runs,” he said.
“It’s just the mental side against better bowlers and smarter bowlers.”
“These guys will have plans, be quicker, swing the ball more and spin the ball more.”