young guns have been selec

ted to represent Central

Highlands in the Common

wealth Bank Cricket Path

way competition in Mel

bourne during January.

Matthew Douglass from

Creswick and James

Winnard from Daylesford

have been selected to play in

the under 18 side in the

competition, while Kyle

Eyers from the Creswick Im

perials Cricket Club will

play in the under 14 side.

Winnard, 16, was selected

in the top 13 in the Central

Highlands region.

"It's good for us to be selec

ted because we've still got

two years left in the under

18s. We are under age play

ers," he said.

"I look forward to the com

petition. The standard is a

lot better."

Douglass and Winnard will

play eight city teams and

eight country teams in the

competition.

Winnard, who plays in the

seconds for East Ballarat

Cricket Club, has been train

ing since August.

Douglass, 16, plays for

Wendouree Cricket Club and

will be looking to produce

his best form as the Central

Highlands team searches for

the elusive title.

He said he was happy to be

selected for the competition.

"I'm very happy to get in,"

he said.

The pace bowler is no

stranger to cricket squads,

being selected in Schoolboys

and the Dowling Shield.

"I've also been selected to

train for Victoria which I

hope to go on with," Douglass

said.

Eyers, 13, said he was

happy to make the squad and

looked forward to the chal

lenge.

"It's harder than club

cricket," he said.

Central Highlands re

gional cricket manager Ben

Oliver said the Common

wealth Bank Cricket Path

way provided talented junior

players with the opportunity

to access high quality coach

ing and play with and

against the best players in

the state.

"It has been designed to

provide players with a clear

developmental path from

junior club cricket through

to state representation," he

said.

Recent graduates include

Bushrangers wicket-keeper/

batsman Adam Crosthwaite

and skipper Cameron White.

Members of the squad are

required to train and play

practice matches in the

leadup to the competition.