Towering teen's winter hobby yields spot in Australia's tour of South Africa
Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website& appThe digital version ofToday'sPaperAll otherin your areaSoon-to-be Australian representative Levi. . .
Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingSave 30%All articles from our website& appThe digital version ofToday'sPaperAll otherin your areaSoon-to-be Australian representative Levi Springer at Nitro Arena. Pictures by Paul ScamblerThis time, the 17-year-old will head to South Africa in September to represent his country in the indoor cricket junior world series following an impressive showing at the national championships earlier this month. Springer scored 121 runs and took 16 wickets en route to being named the runner-up player of the tournament for the second time. "I feel like all the hard work and dedication I've put into the sport has finally paid off, and now I have the opportunity to prove myself on the world stage," he said. "I got a phone call last Sunday night telling me I'd been selected and I was absolutely stoked. ""I really enjoyed how different and competitive it was, and I've loved it ever since," he said. "I love how fast-paced indoor cricket is and how quickly you can get into the game. The community is fantastic too, with people from all sorts of cricketing backgrounds coming together to play. "Since taking up the sport, Springer has played in six national championships - representing Tasmania four times - and is now a two-time Australian squad member. However, the outdoor version of the game is still his priority. "It's been my passion for much longer, and I enjoy the extra freedom, especially when I'm bowling, and I like how there is more time to be able to change the game in your favour," he said. "[In indoor cricket], you can't play a great pull shot and expect it to race away for runs because it'll often bounce off the net and you'll get caught. "The same goes for bowling, a ball that would be a good delivery outdoors can easily be tapped into the ground and into the net for runs. "It really makes you think about how you need to adapt your skills. "Levi Springer and James Lee celebrate a wicket last season. Standing at "six foot five", Springer opens the bowling for South Launceston's first-grade side and is also in Cricket Tasmania's Emerging Raiders program. The St Patrick's College student has progressed through the pathway from the Rookies program in 2022, and played for the state in the under-17 national championships earlier this year. "My goal in the Emerging Raiders program is to continue developing my skills, expose myself to the highest level of cricket possible, and ultimately earn a state contract," he said. "This season, my goal is to play mainly first-grade cricket and represent the Raiders. I want to challenge myself against some of the best players in the state and continue improving. "More from SportAs it happensBreaking news alertBe the first to know when news breaks.