Ryan Eaton is about to jet off overseas to play cricket for Australia.
By Sarah Schwager
A YOUNG Tooradin cricket star is off to Asia after being selected as an opening batsman for the Aus-Lanka Cricket Academy team.
Ryan Eaton, 12, was first honoured at being given a scholarship to the Aus-Lanka Cricket Academy just before Christmas after academy officials spotted him playing for his local team Tooradin.
The Kooweerup Secondary College student was then chosen over other players at the academy as an opening batsman in the under-14 team in Malaysia and Singapore in April.
Ryan has proved himself as a local sports star over the past year after winning the Dandenong and District Junior Football League’s best and fairest award by nine votes in August.
He more than meets his match on the cricket pitch as well, and favours, batting but he is also a mean wicketkeeper and leg spin bowler.
Ryan trains with the academy every Sunday, while also playing with the Tooradin Cricket Club in both the under-13 and under-15 teams.
Coaches at the academy include Sri Lankan test cricketers Ravi Ratnayeke and Manjula Munasinghe – the only Hampton Park resident who can say he has clean bowled former Australian batsman Mark Waugh for a duck.
The academy is based at the Melbourne Cricket Centre in Clayton, where the junior cricketers train every weekend.
Ryan’s mum Cheryl Eaton said she and husband Barry – in between ferrying their son between cricket matches and training sessions – were now trying to organise sponsorship to fly Ryan overseas.
She said they were approaching local businesses and sporting clubs to sponsor their son.
If anyone would like to donate or sponsor Ryan to play in Asia, call Cheryl on 5998 3112.
