Victoria has unearthed yet another prodigious batting talent with 20-year-old Ashley Chandrasinghe bursting on the scene on Sunday.
Ashley Chandrasinghe : Cricketer | Sheffield Shield
Ashley Philip Chandrasinghe is an Australian cricketer who plays first- class cricket for the Victoria cricket team. He is a left handed batsman.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name |
Ashley Philip Chandrasinghe
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| Born | 17 December 2001 |
| Batting | Left-handed |
The unflappable 20-year-old echoed Bloods greats Wayne Phillips (111 versus the West Indians in 1988-89) and Mick Taylor (107 versus Queensland in 1977-78) with a marathon 119 not out from 333 balls over the weekend against a Test quality attack featuring Tasmanian veterans Peter Siddle and Jackson Bird.
There’s been a buzz about Chandrasinghe in Victorian cricketing circles ever since he scored 669 Premier Cricket runs in his first full season as a teenager.
Ashley Chandrasinghe cricketer
Chandrasinghe made his debut for Casey-South Melbourne Cricket Club in the 2019-20 season and marked his debut with a century. He made his debut for the Victoria Second XI in November 2021. He played cricket in Darwin when Victoria was out of season.
In August 2022 Chandrasinghe set a new record by hitting five consecutive centuries in the Darwin Premier League.
Such was his form with Waratah he was awarded the Ralph Wiese Medal in September 2022.
Chandrasinghe was awarded a rookie contract with Victoria for the 2022-23 after his 2021-22 season with the Victorian Second XI saw he score 423 runs at an average of 84.60.
He made his first-class debut for Victoria on 28 October, 2022 in the Sheffield Shield against Tasmania at the Blundstone Arena, Hobart and replaced Will Pucovski in the side.
He finished day one 63 not out after sharing a 157-run partnership for the third wicket with Victoria captain Peter Handscomb.
On the second day he completed his debut century and finished 119 not out as Victoria declared on 351-7.
Sheffield Shield
The future of Australian cricket is in safe hands.
Another batting prodigy has burst into the spotlight, with Ashley Chandrasinghe compiling an old-fashioned century on Sheffield Shield debut over the weekend.
The talented left-hander scored an unbeaten 119 (333) against Tasmania at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval on Sunday, guiding Victoria to 7/351 declared in the first innings.
After one-Test wonder Will Pucovski stepped away from cricket for personal reasons last week, a vacancy opened for Chandrasinghe in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield starting XI.
Former Australian Test opener Chris Rogers presented the rookie contracted 20-year-old with Victoria’s 870th cap on Saturday morning, and less than an hour later he was walking out for his maiden first-class innings.
Chandrasinghe expertly weathered the storm on day one, respecting the disciplined bowling of former Australian seamers Jackson Bird, Peter Siddle and Riley Meredith.
He combined with captain Peter Handscomb for a 157-run partnership for the third wicket before the Victorian skipper departed on Saturday afternoon for 95.
But Chandrasinghe carried on the following morning, reaching triple figures with a textbook straight drive down the ground.
His 311-ball century was the slowest in the Sheffield Shield since Tasmanian captain Jordan Silk needed 341 deliveries to reach the milestone against Queensland in March 2013.
It was also the second-slowest Sheffield Shield century for a Victorian, narrowly behind Shawn Craig’s 316-ball ton against Tasmania in January 1999.