Young gun Balkin ready to battle England in own backyard – cricket.com.au

Australia v England 4-Day – U19 Men
Queensland fast bowler Tom Balkin has been selected in Australia's U19 squad to face England and is armed with advice from Test favourite Ryan Harris
Riley Alexander
27 January 2023, 03:57 PM AEST
@Ralexander2002
As Australia's U19 side prepares to take on England in a four-day match to kick off their multi-format series this Sunday, the home side will be buoyed by the impact a former Ashes star has had on one of their key players. 
Queensland fast bowler Tom Balkin will suit up for the national side as the mentee of former paceman Ryan Harris, with the similarities between the two adding to their tight-knit relationship. 
Balkin is a right-arm pacer from Brisbane Premier club Toombul – Harris' home club throughout his playing career. 
The Aussie icon, who took 22 wickets in Australia's sweep of England in the 2013-14 summer, was invited to present a then 17-year-old Balkin with his first XI cap in September 2021.  
It was a special moment for the pair who had first crossed paths when Balkin was part of a Cricket Australia XI as a 15-year-old that was coached by the former opening bowler at the U17 National Championships in 2019. 
They have worked together closely ever since, with Harris also coaching Balkin's Queensland Metro side at the recent U19 Championships that led to him earning another chance in Aussie colours. 
"The first experience I got with him was with the 15s stuff and ever since then, he's obviously from Queensland and we have always had some involvement with him and he has been an awesome mentor for me," Balkin tells cricket.com.au. 
"He's shown me the way through tough times and that's been an awesome experience just picking his knowledge and his brain. 
"Being able to share that and lean on someone, it's been really good. 
"Obviously him being a right arm quick is great and there's not many that have achieved as much in the game as he has, so being able to have someone that's experienced and had that much knowledge in the game that you can lean on is awesome." 
While often opening the bowling himself, Balkin is more than capable of striking lower order runs much like his mentor showcased throughout his international career. 
Despite Queensland's Metro side only managing 9-159 in a Grand Final defeat at the hands of NSW Metro in late December, it could have been far less had it not been for Balkin's rear-guard 42 not out. 
And while he produced figures of 4-47 against NSW Country in the same tournament and concedes he is viewed more as a bowler, Balkin says it is his batting which he would like to take preference. 
"Yeah I was obviously quite disappointed not to walk away with the chocolates being a Queenslander," Balkin said of the defeat to NSW Metro. 
"I probably prefer batting but I'm probably seen as a better bowler, but I like the challenges that both offer." 
The 19-year-old will be an important part of the Aussie line-up throughout their three-week stint against England, with the Queenslander looking to capitalise on home conditions with all games scheduled for Brisbane. 
He is also one of a number of the 15-player squad with experience in the green and gold as part of that CA XI three years ago, with Balkin finding comfort in playing alongside his teammates once again. 
"It's obviously a great feeling, it's something that you aspire to reach out of the pathway at 15s so it's definitely a goal that you set for yourself but to be able to fulfill it in being selected is definitely a fantastic feeling," he said. 
"It was an awesome experience back then and I can't wait to get started again, but definitely a bit more comfortable knowing your mates that you've met and had shared experiences with before (are there). 
"It'll be a fantastic challenge and I can't wait to get into it. It's definitely something I've aspired to do, training on Allan Border (Field) and then growing up playing pathways around and on that field is something that's very close to home.  
"Hopefully it's a little home ground advantage for us Queenslanders, but that's definitely a great experience to be playing out there." 
It's been a big month of cricket for the Balkin family, with Tom's younger brother Jack captaining Queensland to victory at the U17 National Championships over the past week. 
Jack took 2-11 as his side routed NSW Metro for 92 in the final, with Tom hoping the pair's shared experiences continue into the future as they both continue to rise up the ranks of the pathway system. 
"I was down there with him and flew back on Friday to play but being there with him was an awesome experience and hopefully he can have some success and the Queensland boys can walk away with a trophy," Tom said the day before the final. 
"It's definitely a great experience for him to test yourself and see where he stacks up against the best around the country. So I'm sure he's enjoying it, but hopefully there's a few more to come for him."  
The Aussie Under 19s kick off the first of two four-day matches against England on Sunday at Allan Border Field. 
Australia v England – Under 19 Series
Four-day matches:
Sunday Jan 29 – February Feb 1: Allan Border Oval, Brisbane, 10am local
Monday Feb 6 – Thursday Feb 9: Alan Pettigrew Oval, Brisbane 10am local
50-over matches:
Monday Feb 13: Allan Border Oval, Brisbane, 10am local
Wednesday Feb 15: Allan Border Oval, Brisbane, 10am local
Friday Feb 17: Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane, 9am local
T20 match:
Friday Feb 19: Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane,TBC
Australia Male Under 19 Squad: Harry Dixon (VIC Metro/St Kilda Cricket Club), Liam Blackford (VIC Country/Geelong Cricket Club),  Ethan Jamieson (NSW Metro/University of NSW Cricket Club), Harjas Singh (NSW Metro/Blacktown Mounties Cricket Club), Joel Davies (NSW Metro/Manly Warringah Cricket Club), Hugh Weibgen (QLD Metro/Valley District Cricket Club), Lachlan Aitken (QLD Metro/Gold Coast District Cricket Club), William Salzmann (NSW Metro/Campbelltown Camden District Cricket Club), Tom Balkin (QLD Metro/Toombul District Cricket Club), Mahli Beardman (Western Australia/Melville Cricket Club),  Josh Vernon (Western Australia/Pegs Creek Cricket Club), Charlie Anderson (NSW Metro/Northern District Cricket Club), Tom Straker (NSW Metro/Sutherland District Cricket Club), Luke Holt (Western Australia/Willetton District Cricket Club), Harkirat Bajwa (VIC Country/Melbourne Cricket Club)
England Male Under 19 Squad: Tom Aspinwall (Lancashire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Joseph Eckland (Unattached), Bertie Foreman (Sussex), Sheridon Gumbs (Surrey), Jack Harding (Unattached), Alex Horton (Glamorgan), Matthew Hurst (Lancashire), Dan Ibrahim (Sussex), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Dominic Kelly (Hampshire), Mitchell Killeen (Durham), Archie Lenham (Sussex), Stanley McAlindon (Durham), Yousef Majid (Surrey), Ben McKinney (Durham), James Rew (Somerset), Jamal Richards (Essex), Harry Singh (Unattached), Charlie Tear (Sussex), George Thomas (Somerset), Ross Whitfield (Durham)
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