ONE of Tamworth's fastest-rising cricket stars is preparing to represent his state at the national championships after only picking up the game a year ago.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bradley Carriage will line up in NSW's Blind and Low Vision team at the National Cricket Inclusion Championships (NCIC) in Geelong next week.
The 18-year-old earned his selection after a strong start to the domestic season.
"I've played a few domestic games in Sydney and things like that, but this the first big cricket thing I've done," Carriage told the Leader.
"I didn't believe it when I was told I had been selected for NSW.
"I thought they might have been bringing me down their to be the waterboy to gain some experience, but it was really excited to find out I was in fact on the team.
"It took a little bit of time to sink in, but I'm very excited about it."
Read Also:
A keen batsman and bowler, Carriage said he was eager to impress during the carnival.
"I'd actually say I enjoy fielding the most," he said.
"My batting is probably a little bit better than my bowling, but fielding is probably where I'm at my best."
Next week's tournament will be the fourth edition of the NCIC, a competition NSW has dominated in the past.
"In my division, they [NSW] have gone undefeated for the past two years," Carriage said.
"In fact, all three teams NSW have sent down to the championships over the past two years have been undefeated. I just don't want to be the weakest link."
As for his own strategy, Carriage said he was going to "keep it simple".
"For me, I just want to throw as straight as I can in the field and bowl as few wides as possible with the ball," he said.
"Communication is key, so I'll be aiming to follow some of the more experienced guys. In the meantime, I will look to polish up my batting and bowling and be good to go for next week."
The NCIC will run from January 13 to January 17.