Cricket
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HE MIGHT not recognise many of the names on the team sheet but Keira leg spinner Jono Cook says he will cherish the opportunity to bowl to Scotland’s international squad in a trial game on Thursday.
Cook has been called on by Sydney grade club St George to line up at Hurstville Oval and take on the Scottish World Cup team ahead of the ICC tournament kicking off this weekend.
Scotland will have a hit-out with St George as a final preparation for the coveted One-Day World Cup held across Australia and New Zealand.
Cook has been fielding calls from St George officials for the past 12 months as the club attempts to lure him north from Wollongong and join the strong Sydney competition.
And while he hasn’t signed any playing contract just yet, he says he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bowl to international-class cricketers.
‘‘It's going to be a pretty good standard,’’ Cook said.
‘‘It will be interesting...it's going to be a challenge as well.
‘‘Hurstville Oval is not a big ground so it's a bit daunting, especially as a spinner playing on such a small ground in a limited-overs match and against such good opposition.
‘‘I'm going to have to be at my best.’’
As the trial game doesn’t contribute points to any domestic competition Cook is allowed to play outside his registration with Cricket Illawarra.
He admits to having little or no knowledge of Scotland’s international team but has contacted some mates in Ireland in search of some inside information.
Cook spent last year’s Australian winter playing cricket in Dublin and hopes some of his Irish teammates can give him the low-down on Scotland’s batsmen.
‘‘I've sent a message to a couple of my Irish mates to see if they've got any tips for me,’’ he said.
‘‘They play each other quite regularly, Scotland and Ireland and the Netherlands, so a few guys know a couple of the Scottish players.’’
Cook expects to line up alongside the likes of NSW contracted player Trent Copeland in the St George team for the trial.
When the local season finishes and Cook’s responsibilities with Keira have been fulfilled, he plans to return to Dublin for another season abroad.
He says he still doesn’t know where he will land when he returns to Australia, as St George continues to coax him towards Sydney.
‘‘The option to go to Sydney has been there for a while but it all depends what happens when I get back from overseas,’’ Cook said.