Come in spinner Kyle

The talented Rockingham-Mandurah leg spinner has taken 10 first grade wickets at 22.20 apiece in five games this season, and made his senior debut for WA in a second XI fixture against Victoria late last month.

Gardiner has won many admirers throughout WA cricket, including State captain and Test batsman Adam Voges, who told the Courier recently he believed the teenager had the temperament to succeed.

“From what I’ve seen of him, he’s very talented, he got me out (in grade cricket) last year I think,” Voges said.

“He gives the ball a good rip and gets some good shape, which is hard to do at the WACA. He’s got plenty (of talent and skill) and he’s very committed. He takes public transport up to (WA) training, which shows you how committed he is to do that early in the morning and back home.

“He’ll get his opportunities and it’s up to him then to take them.”

He will get the chance to show his craft at national level between November 30 and December 10, with WA coach, former state batsman Wayne Andrews, saying the squad’s strength was its bowling.

“We’ve got a number of good pace bowlers, backed up with a good variety of spinners in (Kyle) Gardiner, Sean Stuart and Clint Hinchliffe,” he said. “If we can bowl as well as anticipated, supported by the batsmen, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be looking to push NSW and the top states all the way.”

WA were runners-up last year and will be among several states in the mix given the revised 10-team competition, where all teams play eight matches, including finals.

n WA squad: Brooke Guest (capt) (South Perth), Jhye Richardson (vice-capt) (Fremantle), Clint Hinchliffe (Joondalup), Cameron Green (Subiaco Floreat), Alex Bevilaqua (South Perth), Liam Guthrie (Perth), Josh Philippe (Bayswater-Morley), Keaton Critchell (Midland-Guildford), Jake Lewis (Perth), Kyle Gardiner (Rockingham-Mandurah), Sean Stuart (Claremont-Nedlands), Lucas Martin (Claremont-Nedlands), Manuel Hunwick (Bayswater-Morley).