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Scarborough sensation Cooper Connolly eyeing off second consecutive Under-19 World Cup berth

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Ben SmithThe West Australian
Cooper Connolly is hoping to be picked for the Under-19 World Cup Australia squad.
Camera IconCooper Connolly is hoping to be picked for the Under-19 World Cup Australia squad. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

Captain Cooper Connolly has an alliterative quality about it, but the WA rising star just wants the chance to represent his country on the world stage again.

The 18 year-old batsman is on the precipice of making his second consecutive ICC Under-19 World Cup squad after being named in the upcoming Australian training camp ahead of the tournament in the West Indies next month.

After featuring in two games at the 2020 tournament in South Africa, the Scarborough young gun could even be in the running to captain the team.

While Connolly was adamant his focus was purely on making the team and he would be grateful to be selected for back-to-back tournaments, he admitted captaining the side would be the ultimate honour.

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“I hope to make it first and then if I get an opportunity to captain, that would be a dream come true,” he said.

“I’d feel pretty thankful if I got the opportunity. Not many people get it, so I’d take it and hopefully I could make the most of it.”

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Cooper Connolly, young rising star in cricket. 
Picture: Daniel Wilkins
Camera IconCooper Connolly, young rising star in cricket. Daniel Wilkins Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

Connolly featured in just two games at the last under-19 world Cup, but made the most of his opportunity in the final game as he plundered 64 off just 53 deliveries in a rain-affected game against the West Indies.

It was a timely knock from the then 16-year-old, who said an inconsistent run of form coupled with a lack of game time caused him to be plagued by self-doubt.

“I got to the last couple of games and I was quite stressed out; I wasn’t quite sure if I was good enough,” Connolly said.

“After playing the game against the West Indies, I got a few runs and after that I just had the realisation I’m good enough for this level and I can take the next step with my cricketing abilities.”

Connolly credited his under-19 coach and former Test opener Chris Rogers for restoring his belief in himself during the tournament.

“We had a practice match and I wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I would have liked and Chris came up to me and said ‘I’m going to throw you balls for 15 minutes and I want you to pretend you’re back in Perth’,” he said.

Cooper Connolly, young rising star in cricket. 
Picture: Daniel Wilkins
Camera IconCooper Connolly, young rising star in cricket. Daniel Wilkins Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

“From then on, I was relaxed, hitting the ball better and that was the switch for me to be like ‘OK, I’m good enough for this level’.

“I think everyone dreams of learning off someone who has been at the top level for a long period of time and I was lucky enough to get that experience. I took on everything he said.”

The Belridge Secondary College student is currently rehabbing a broken hand which has kept him out of grade cricket action for the past few weeks, but he was confident he would be ready for the training camp in Adelaide this month.

When he has been at the crease, the teenager has been steady with the bat for Scarborough at first-grade level, averaging 28.4 with the bat, which included an impressive 72 against Melville.

He also took to the field for WA’s Second XI against South Australia in October, raising the bat after making 65 in the first innings.

The Australian under-19 side has been drawn in Group D and will open the tournament against the West Indies on January 14 before facing Sri Lanka and Scotland.

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