Southern Smash: Will Bosisto beats all to No.1 pick as 48 players join franchise teams on draft night

WA Premier Cricket star Will Bosisto was snapped as the prized first selection in this year’s Southern Smash draft, one of 48 players picked up on Monday night for Albany’s marquee T20 competition. Bosisto was set to play in the 2022 Southern Smash but was a late withdrawal through injury. The 30-year-old made more than 1000 first-class runs playing for WA and South Australia and this season is averaging 84 for University, having made 336 runs in five games, including a century. He nominated again for the fifth edition of regional WA’s premier T20 tournament and edged out the likes of English Test wicketkeeper James Bracey, former Big Bash League spinner Liam O’Connor and Australia under-19 representative Luke Holt as the No.1 pick. The six franchise teams all retained four players, including their captain and each drafted the remaining eight players in a live draft at Inswing Sports Bar. Bosisto was snared by Albany Finance Fury, who finished last in the 2022 tournament and received pick No.1 as a result. O’Connor, who played 23 BBL games for the Adelaide Strikers and first-class cricket for WA, was taken with pick two by the Retravision Warriors. The Elders Avengers snared Bracey, who has played two Test matches for England and is playing at University this summer, with their first selection. Fellow UK player Tommy Boorman went at pick four, the Camtrans Bulldogs going with the young batter who is playing for Sturt in SA. Arc Infrastructure Aces took Willetton young gun Kade Povey at No.5 and reigning champions Inswing Ignition completed out the first round of picks by selecting talented wicket-keeper-batter John Sanders who has previously been Smash player of the tournament Big hitting left-hander Lincoln Joy was the first Albany and Districts player selected in the draft, going at pick 12 to the Ignition. He was one of 13 Albany and Districts players taken in the eight rounds on draft night. The Great Southern Cricket Association will also be represented in the competition, with destructive pair Liam Want (Kojonup) and Harry Grigson (Broomehill) both picked up. Sri Lankan champion Tillakaratne Dilshan was retained by the Ignition along with skipper Daniel Rees and Willetton pair Shayne Wornes and Kallen Bond. Aces captain Tim Hutchison was retained along with last year’s player of the tournament Jaron Morgan, country star Clayton Bruce-Cherry and Charlie Walters. Alex Fergie has taken the reins at the Fury who kept hold of Garrick Morgan, Luke Gollan and Michael Ferreira prior to the draft. Damien Burrage will lead the Bulldogs who retained teenager star Corey Wasley, local Coen Marwick and quick Jacob Wintle. Nathan Crudeli, Julian Crudeli, Tim Hale and Oliver Davidson were retained by the Warriors. Jeremy Wood will lead the Avengers who began draft night with Jacob Whiteaker, Cruise Ciallella and Mitch Jackson already in their line-up. Players will now come together in their franchise teams on December 29 and 30 for the popular T20 competition. Southern Smash draft selections #1 Will Bosisto (University) – Albany Finance Fury #2 Liam O’Connor (Bayswater-Morley) – Retravision Warriors #3 James Bracey (University) – Elders Avengers #4 Tommy Boorman ( Sturt) – Camtrans Bulldogs #5 Kade Povey (Willetton) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #6 John Sanders (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Inswing Ignition #7 Luke Holt (Willetton) – Albany Finance Fury #8 Sam Smith (Subiaco-Floreat) – Retravision Warriors #9 Michael Dawson (Fremantle) – Elders Avengers #10 Cooper Clarke-Dehring (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Camtrans Bulldogs #11 Alex Bevilaqua (South Perth) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #12 Lincoln Joy (Royals) – Inswing Ignition #13 Alex Osborne (Scarborough) – Albany Finance Fury #14 Mitch Wagstaff (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Retravision Warriors #15 Olllie Dabinett-Jays (Claremont-Nedlands) – Elders Avengers #16 Albert Esterhuysen (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Camtrans Bulldogs #17 Ethan Smith (Willetton) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #18 Paul Donaldson (Manypeaks) – Inswing Ignition #19 Nathan Crosby (Mt Barker) – Albany Finance Fury #20 Cameron Jones (Collingwood Park) – Retravision Warriors #21 Rhys Lewis (Royals) – Elders Avengers #22 Joe Stanley (Railways) – Camtrans Bulldogs #23 Mitch Oliver (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #24 Cameron Becker (Willetton) – Inswing Ignition #25 Liam Want (Kojonup) – Albany Finance Fury #26 Sam Keeling-Wright (Collingwood Park) – Retravision Warriors #27 Noah Blight (Rockingham-Mandurah) – Elders Avengers #28 Christian Smith (Bayswater-Morley) – Camtrans Bulldogs #29 Harrry Grigson (Broomehill) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #30 Ben Payne (Yallingup-Oddbods) – Inswing Ignition #31 Liam Renton (Eaton) – Albany Finance Fury #32 Callum O’Connor (Bayswater-Morley) – Retravision Warriors #33 Darin Jayaprakash (Fremantle) – Elders Avengers #34 Ted Batchelor (Royals) – Camtrans Bulldogs #35 Jaxon Cornford (Dalyellup) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #36 Guy Taylor (Subiaco-Floreat) – Inswing Ignition #37 Adam Prowse (Towns) – Albany Finance Fury #38 Reece Griffiths (Newton) – Retravision Warriors #39 Corey Fagan (Marist) – Elders Avengers #40 Matthew Carroll (Wanneroo) – Camtrans Bulldogs #41 Corey Fitt (Marist) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #42 Seb Stanton (Manypeaks) – Inswing Ignition #43 Ben Southern (Manypeaks) – Albany Finance Fury #44 Joe Swan (Mt Barker) – Retravision Warriors #45 Jack Pope (Mt Barker) – Elders Avengers #46 Damien Stanley (Waroona) – Camtrans Bulldogs #47 Ryan Davies (Royals) – Arc Infrastructure Aces #48 Ben Gregory (Claremont-Nedlands) – Inswing Ignition