Oliver Peake has not been shy in admitting the last few weeks have felt surreal. The 19-year-old right-hander guided Victoria home with a calm, unbeaten 70 against reigning Sheffield Shield champions South Australia, sealing victory in the state’s opening match of the season. It was only his second first-class appearance.
Those early runs have come at a time when Australia’s senior side may soon need fresh faces. Usman Khawaja turns 39 in December and, while Steven Smith continues to score freely, the questions about long-term succession never quite fade. Selectors are already keeping tabs on the so-called NewsClass of 2024 – the group that lifted the Under-19 World Cup – and Peake is firmly in that conversation.
Before his own debut, Peake spent last Boxing Day dashing on drinks at the MCG while Sam Konstas, another member of that youth side, cheekily ramped Jasprit Bumrah in front of 70,000. The memory still makes him pause.
“I was running him [Konstas] out gloves and drinks, and to watch him take down Bumrah was so cool to see,” Peake said of his experience as Australia’s water boy. “He was pretty in the zone. I caught Uzzy [Usman Khawaja] a couple of times chuckling at him and sort of thinking, ‘How crazy is this?'”
“Even talking to the spider cam during drinks breaks, I was just like, ‘This is a different world’.”
Konstas went on to earn a Test cap in Sri Lanka, where Peake travelled as a development player. Hugh Weibgen, the Under-19 captain, has seamlessly slotted into Queensland’s senior set-up, notching a maiden one-day hundred in a nerve-shredding chase against Western Australia. Harjas Singh produced a scarcely believable 314 in NSW Premier Cricket earlier this month, and left-hander Harry Dixon is set to open for Victoria when they host New South Wales on Wednesday. Konstas, travelling south with the visitors, will use the match to remind national selectors of his Ashes credentials.
“From that World Cup team a couple of years ago, everyone’s pretty close,” Peake said. “When guys are doing well, everyone sends messages to each other.”
“Hugh Weibgen getting his first hundred was awesome to see, but no surprise for any of us. We all support each other and back each other in and have massive belief in each other. Sam was a good example of doing really well early in the year and finding his chance through that.”
Peake himself slots in at No.5 for Victoria – a position that demands both patience and, on ageing Australian pitches, ambition. He insists he is not looking too far ahead.
“I was driving here this morning and thinking to myself, pinching myself, like, ‘This is so cool’,” he said. “I’ve got mates at uni and [doing other] stuff that I grew up with, and for me to be driving to cricket in the morning as my job, it’s incredible.”
Victoria coaches have praised his calm head. One staff member quietly noted how rarely the young batter pushes at balls outside off early in an innings – a discipline that often deserts older hands. Analyst Ben Fraser, who has worked with the state side for six seasons, sees simple method rather than raw talent alone.
“Peake waits for the bowler to miss and then cashes in,” Fraser observed. “It sounds basic, but it’s exactly what the national team will need when the current senior core moves on.”
For now, though, Peake’s goals remain domestic. Victoria will look to build on their opening-round win, while individual spots for next winter’s Ashes tour will sort themselves out in due course. The teenager is content merely to stack up runs and enjoy the ride – a stance that feels refreshingly uncomplicated in an era of instant headlines.
