"Now 19 and captain of Australia at his second ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, Ollie offers a bashful grin in response to his mother's tale while his father, Clinton looks on. The family are sitting in the team hotel in Windhoek, Namibia, where Australia have marched through the group stage undefeated; the two Super Six victories that followed in Zimbabwe one of which came off the back of a crucial Peake century means they will face England in the semi-final on 3 February."
"The classy left-handed batter may have been destined to play cricket from a young age, but his rise has been both rapid and remarkable. While many cricket fans discovered him recently, thanks to his outrageous last-ball six to win a BBL match for the Melbourne Renegades against the Perth Scorchers, others have been tracking his progress through youth pathways and into the senior Victorian side."
"That still feels a fair way away for me, says Peake. I'm purely trying to focus on keeping my spot in the Victorian team and winning games there, because, already in a year, I feel like that team are already my best mates, which is a pretty special thing. We've got a great culture there, and we're building towards something special."
Ollie Peake, 19, leads Australia at the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup and has guided the side through an undefeated group stage and Super Six wins. One Super Six victory featured a crucial century from Peake, securing a semi-final against England. Peake gained broader attention after a last-ball six for the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL and has advanced through youth pathways into Victoria's senior side with ten Sheffield Shield appearances. Influential figures, including Ricky Ponting, have suggested Peake as a potential 2027 Ashes starter. Peake remains focused on keeping his Victoria spot and winning games with strong team culture.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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