Ollie Peake, where to next...
Geelong's Ollie Peake could draw inspiration from the once cricket prodigy, Mike Atherton
Nick Speak.
I grew up playing with and against a cricket prodigy, Mike Atherton.
At the time, there was a hint of envy and, I hasten to say, some jealousy; now, belatedly, I understand it must have been an enormous burden for Athers—as we knew him—to carry through those formative years.
Without stating the obvious, Athers had a generational career as both a player and captain for Lancashire and England, and is now arguably, one of the most trusted pundits in world cricket. No doubt, Alan and Wendy will be proud parents
This post is about a young Australian cricketer who might be treading a path similar to Mike Atherton's.
Whether Ollie Peake reaches the heights that Atherton scaled, only time will tell, but now, as his coach (one of) rather than a peer, I hope to assist in his journey with a little more empathy than I showed toward my fellow Mancunian.
Like Alan and Wendy, fortunately, Peake has two incredibly supportive parents in his corner: Clinton and Sarah.
The article (below) was written by a good friend, Paul Amy, and first published earlier in the week at Code Sports.
Paul is a tireless promoter of community sport through his Twitter/X account and is a staff writer at Code Sports with over 20 years of journalistic experience. I hope you enjoy the read.
SpeakingNick is a reader-supported venture. Free and paid versions are available. The best way to support me is by taking out a paid subscription.
The spectator was watching Oliver Peake bat for the first time.
He had the Victorian selectors in his sights, too.
Why, he asked, had they not yet picked Geelong prodigy Peake in the state team.
“This kid’s the future but they’d rather pick a 35-year-old!’’ he declared.
Unbeknown to the spectator, he was sounding off in the company of a selector: Graeme Rummans, who went to last Saturday’s Geelong and Casey South Melbourne Premier match at Casey Fields to run an eye over Peake.
The highly-talented Peake is already catching the eye of state selectors. Picture: Mark Wilson
“Bit awks!’’ someone said later when told of the conversation.
But Rummans handled the situation with a smile and a simple reply: “He’s 17, mate. He’ll get his chance.’’
Before Saturday, Rummans had not seen Peake bat “live’’.
Like everyone who watches the left-hander, he liked what he saw.
The youngster made 42 in a Geelong victory.
Peake is the son of Clinton Peake, who played nine matches for Victoria and is sometimes recalled for his unbeaten triple century for the Australian Under 19 team against India in the 1990s.
He also scored heavily for Geelong in Premier Cricket, raising 21 centuries and 8,855 runs.
His eldest son is quickly forging his own name in the game and it would be no surprise if he picked up a rookie contract with the Vics ahead of next season, even as he completes Year 12 at Geelong Grammar School.
When his runs in Victorian Premier Cricket, for the Cats’ Under 18 team, in the national Under 19 and Under 17 championships and for his school in the APS competition are counted, Peake is up to 1,101 for the season, at an average of 57.
His tally includes two centuries at the Under 17s, earning him team of the tournament honours, and his maiden ton in Premier ranks, against Greenvale Kangaroos in round three.
At the Under 19s, he scored 236 runs at 47.2 and was picked as a reserve for the Australian team competing in the youth World Cup in South Africa.
Oliver Peake raises the bat after an Under 17s hundred against Tasmania. Picture: Dylan Burns
Rummans saw a “very good young player with good footwork, works the ball into gaps really well, a good runner between wickets – he looks like he aims to drop and run – and good game awareness’’.
“He’s got a good game already. Very exciting to watch,’’ Rummans says of Peake, who gained attention three years ago when he broke the run-aggregate record (549) in the Victorian Sub-District association’s Under 15 John Craig Shield.
He was 16 when he made his Premier debut for the Cats last season.
Peake opened his 2023-24 with an exceptional hand of 69 in a run-chase victory over reigning premier Melbourne.
The Demons’ attack included first-class quickies David Moody and Jack Prestwidge.
Geelong coach Nick Speak calls the innings Peake’s “break-out’’.
“He’s 17. He’s playing first grade. He could have had just an OK year, averaging 25 or 30 and getting his feet wet,’’ he says.
“But he made runs and helped us win the game. That kind of broke the door down for him.’’
Two rounds later, the Greenvale bowlers made fewer demands of him as he hit 110 not out off 116 deliveries.
Word of Peake’s innings against St Kilda in a Twenty20 before Christmas quickly spread through Premier Cricket.
Against a St Kilda team featuring Test men Marcus Harris, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson, the Cats were set 7-166.
Marcus Harris playing for St Kilda in 2022. Picture: George Sal
They overhauled their target with two balls to spare, with Peake unbeaten on 73 off 52 balls.
He hit five fours and three sixes at the Melbourne University ground.
“He measured it … he didn’t panic,’’ Speak says.
“We were panicking. We thought we should have gone earlier, but we got them with two balls to go and it was basically his judgement. It was extraordinary, against a good side too.
“And that (T20) is not really his go at the moment, size-wise, age-wise, power-wise. It probably will be. But he makes up for it with his placement, his running, his touch.’’
Earlier in the day, Peake hit 50 not out off 39 balls against Uni.
After 15 rounds of Premier Cricket, he’s averaging 94 from seven knocks.
Speak says Peake has the ability to “score off good balls’’.
“He’s not a power player yet. He’s very much a touch player. An excellent runner between the wickets – he ran out the captain (Josh Larkin) on Saturday but that’s not the norm!
“He’s a run scorer. He knows how to make runs. He gets to 20 really well and generally quickly, taking away that pressure of getting stuck early in his innings.
“He’s predominantly a backfoot player. We’re working on his transference of weight into his driving.
“At the moment, he’s 60-40 back foot, front foot.’’
Speak regards Peake as a rare talent but says there’s no need to rush him.
He points out that his young charge still has two more years at Under 19 level (he was picked in Vic Country Under 19s last year as a bottom-bottom-bottom ager).
“He has the capacity to meet what goes with a (state) rookie contract but he’s still got two years in the Under 19s,’’ Speak says.
“The World Cup is every two years, so he’ll be top-age for that next time around and you’d imagine he’d be firmly in the frame for that.’’
Clinton Peake shows up at Geelong infrequently but talks regularly to Speak about his son.
Speak says Clinton has devoted many hours to Oliver’s cricket.
“He’s hit a million balls with his dad,’’ he says.
“People don’t realise how much work Clinton has done with him. Like, a hell of a lot.
“There’s a local club down here, Geelong City, and they live at the back of it. They probably should name the nets after them!’’
There’s another Peake coming through: Charlie, three years younger than Oliver.
Two years ago he was given a splash in the Geelong Advertiser after taking 7-9 with his leg-spin in an Under 13 grand final.
As always, thank you for being here.