WYLL Stanway and Josh Shaw have been making a name for themselves in Australian grade cricket after seizing the opportunity to play Down Under during the winter.

The Furness Cricket Club teenagers are following in the footsteps of many a young English player by spending the off-season honing their skills in the tough environment of club cricket in Australia.

Batsman Stanway and bowler Shaw have linked up with Melbourne-based Carrum Cricket Club, who play in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association Bendigo Community Bank competition.

Shaw has wasted little time in getting to grips with his new surroundings, carrying on where he left off after a strong 2018 season for Furness in the North Lancashire & Cumbria Cricket League Premier Division.

The 18-year-old currently leads the Carrum bowling averages with 16 wickets in 10 matches for the team, including an impressive haul of 5 for 10 in their eight-wicket win over Seaford.

Right-hander Stanway, 17, has been steady with the bat too, scoring a total 96 runs so far, and has had the honour of captaining Carrum’s under-18s in the Norm Jardine Shield Twenty20 competition.

Their most recent match on Tuesday saw Stanway lead the way with an unbeaten 53 and guide them to a nine-wicket victory over Pines, putting them top of Group One and booking their place in the semi-finals.

It followed him scoring 43 not out in the 10-wicket victory over Tyabb and the pair are now resting up over Christmas ahead of the Australian club season resuming in January.

They both showed their potential during a good 2018 for Furness, with Stanway scoring 431 runs and making a highest score of 63 not out.

Meanwhile, Shaw ended the year with 30 wickets at an average of 19.83.