FIFTEEN-year-old Armidale cricketer Lochlan Elks has been named in the prestigious Central North Cricket Academy squad for the third year running.
The Cricket NSW Academy program focuses on developing the skills of talented young players from around NSW and aims to provide the same opportunities to players living in regional areas as those living in Sydney metropolitan areas.
Lochlan gained selection after trials with the Northern Inland squad in Tamworth a few weeks ago.
The Central North Academy includes selected players from the Northern Inland and Hunter Valley Junior Cricket Councils. Central North spans a large area that takes in Cessnock, Maitland and Singleton in the south, Coonabarabran, Narrabri and Moree in the west, Tenterfield in the north, with Armidale being perhaps the most easterly branch of this region which also includes Tamworth.
Lochlan’s selection from players across such a vast area of the state is a significant achievement for the keen junior cricketer.
He has been a member of the Central North squad for the past two years, and in 2011 was selected to play in the Central North Under-14s team that contested the Kookaburra Cup, a state-wide carnival at which each country NSW zone is represented.
Lochlan hopes to gain selection this season into the Central North team attending the corresponding Under-16s carnival, The Bradman Cup.
Lochlan, a top order batsman and wicket keeper who is also very handy with his medium-fast bowling, is the only Armidale junior to be selected in the Academy program for the coming season.
He began training with the squad last Sunday, and will continue to train throughout the off-season with the Central North Academy and also with the Northern Inland squad.
