Cricket North: Aidan O'Connor, James Leake lead rising stars

The Examiner, with the help of coaches, takes a look at every Cricket North club's rising stars.

Reigning premiers Launceston have found a knack of maintaining their competitive balance while injecting the side with some new blood for the future.

Edward Faulkner has locked down a place in the Lions' side but there is also an off-spinner tipped for a good future at first-grade level in Roy Penn.

"Roy Penn made his debut two weeks ago against Wynyard and I thought he stood up to the test," Launceston coach Andy Gower said.

"Unfortunately he's not in the side [against Westbury] but I think there's big things to come from him in the coming years."

Penn managed a tidy debut against the Tigers in taking 1-23 from six overs.

South Launceston's Greater Northern Cup campaign may not have gone as planned but the latter rounds provided an opportunity to blood some young talent.

Ryan Arnott and Riley Donlon have been added to the Knights' first-grade ranks in recent weeks and managed to hold their spots heading into the Christmas break.

Donlon's bowling has drawn praise from the Knights' brains trust and the seamer's efforts were rewarded with first A-grade wickets against Mowbray.

"My messages to him after his first couple of games have just been that I couldn't ask anything more of him, he provides a lot of energy in the field, even took a nice catch the other week," South Launceston captain Sean Harris said.

"He's just running in and he's not seeming overawed by the occasion or by playing first grade, he's just come in and done what we know he can do."

Arnott showed his wares in an 80-run partnership with Graham Donaldson on his way to 38 not out from 48 balls.

"Again, lots of energy in the field which we have been lacking ... he hasn't been overawed by the occasion at all and has slotted in really nicely," Harris said.

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Versatile bowler James Leake was also singled out for praise after his development as the leader of the attack in recent weeks for the Knights.

"He's had to be a first-change or second-change bowler for us previously but has had to take the new ball and he's relished that opportunity and bowled beautifully for us," Harris said.

The Eagles have enjoyed a largely settled side heading into the Christmas break. While they will miss the Greater Northern finals, it has brought Thomas Dwyer and Lachlan Clark to the fore

"[Clark's] had a few good performances in the twos and he's come up to the ones ... he's been down at the club for a couple of years now and was looking like being a really integral part of our second grade team," Mowbray captain Luke Scott said.

"Through a couple of good performances, he got a call-up and he's gone really well so certainly someone we're excited to see a lot of in the future."

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Dwyer turned heads earlier this season with a resilient knock of 20 off 72 balls in tough conditions against Devonport.

"[Dwyer's] played a bit of first grade as an opening batter, Tom was our under-15s or 16s captain last year and he's progressed through to the first-grade," he said.

"They're two that are certainly on the rise."

The table-topping Shamrocks have tended to turn to old hands when reinforcements have been needed this season but the club is buoyed by a few younger prospects in second grade.

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One of those includes leg-spinner Thomas Chambers who has plied his trade in the reserve grade for most of the season and taken 11 wickets so far.

"He's a really promising young leg-spinner, a really quality young cricketer, he's a good fielder and batter as well," Westbury's stand-in captain Nathan Parkin said.

"We're really looking forward to him stepping up this year or possibly early next year into the first-grade side."

Greater Northern Cup title aspirants Riverside are one club with a talented young core with several young players entrenched around the first-grade set-up.

Kaidyn Apted and Alex Tubb are two bowlers the Blues have high hopes for as is Cooper Anthes, who has demonstrated his leadership potential by captaining Riverside to the T20 Cup final.

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Anthes' Greater Northern Raiders teammate Aidan O'Connor is one who has drawn the eye with bat and ball this season.

The 15-year-old all-rounder was instrumental in their win over South Launceston with an unbeaten 75 and two wickets.

Riverside captain Tom Garwood described the Launceston Grammar student as a player with massive potential after his match-winning performance.

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