Peake form: Australian future looks bright for Ollie

Ollie Peake might only be 20, but his future in Australian cricket is looking bright.

The young Victorian is being touted as a future Test player and has already made significant strides as a white ball cricketer for his nation.

Making his debut against Pakistan in May this year, Peake is developing at a rapid rate and has returned to the domestic white ball competition in smashing form with 73 runs against South Australia.

“I think that was definitely my best one-day performance for the ‘Vics’ so far, so yeah, I was happy to get a few runs under my belt and sort of solidify what I've been doing overseas,” Peake told SEN’s Captain’s Run.

Peake’s recent success and exposure to the highest levels of white ball cricket has come as a little bit of a surprise, given he had largely been focused on red-ball cricket.

“I've probably seen myself growing up as more of a red ball player, but so far I've actually done better playing white ball in one-day stuff or T20s in the Big Bash,” Peake said.

“I think four-day cricket, there's so many layers to it that probably doesn't get unpacked as much as it should.

“I think it's a completely different game to 2-day premier cricket where you play one day on a Saturday and then you wait a week and you play another day.

“I think just the constant mental challenges that are going on is probably the biggest thing.

“In red ball cricket, that's probably where I'm trying to get to is just being consistent with how I'm preparing for each game, how I'm thinking during the game, and hopefully some results will turn for the better.

The experience of touring with the Australian side in the one-day format this year has been a revelation for Peake, who has relished the chance to model the best Australian cricketers.

For Peake, it’s been a great opportunity, “…seeing a lot of different examples of ways people play innings, seeing how people prepare, how they are consistent.”

“I think one of the biggest things with the Australian team is they'll have that belief and know that they're good enough.

“They’ve got results to show for it, so they know that their preparation is good enough and they don't go chasing after things.

“That's definitely one thing I'm trying to bring into my game is to be just consistent, try not to chase results and not to try too hard to do well. I think that was one of the biggest things.

“And then just being exposed to different conditions, different situations, and seeing how people navigate through that, and even for myself, being put in a few different tricky situations, I think should hold me in good stead if I come up against spinning conditions or against a hostile, really fast bowling spell.

Peake has also been keeping an eye on the South Africa Test series taking place currently, analysing how the Aussies approach a tricky tour.

“I'd say I've always been a bit of an analytical watcher, to be honest,” Peake said.

“I've always loved taking things out of how people are playing, but I guess it is cool now to sort of know why people are doing certain things or how they're trying to match up to that bowler, because I think they've got quite a few guys from the one-day series playing.

“That’s been pretty cool to sort of see them all playing Test cricket, and sort of feeling like you've been in and around it and know what's going on a bit more.”

Peake will be back in action in the Sheffield Shield against Tasmania, which begins tomorrow.

Meanwhile, his Australian teammates will look to claim the series against South Africa in Gqeberha with play starting tonight at 7:00pm (AEDT).

Catch every ball of the South Africa series live across the SEN network.