Cricket Tasmania can reveal its contracted players list for its Tasmanian Tigers Men's squad for 2019-20.



The addition of local players - Sean Willis (South Hobart-Sandy Bay CC) and Alex Pyecroft (North Hobart CC), to a full State Contract is just rewards for the pair following a 2018-19 season where they each debuted for the Tigers in the Sheffield Shield as un-contracted players.



Pyecroft featured in four First-Class fixtures last summer for 12 wickets, including a stunning 5/28 in just his second match.



The 26-year-old earnt a spot in the Tigers’ Toyota Futures League side following consistent form for North Hobart in the Detail First Premier League and show Tigers' Head Coach, Adam Griffith, he was ready for the top level.

24-year-old batsman Willis debuted with two matches remaining in the summer as the Tigers searched for full points to keep their season alive.



He snared a diving catch at third slip with his first touch of the ball in First-Class cricket before putting on 24 all in boundaries in the second innings to highlight his potential.

Both Pyecroft and Willis progressed through the Tigers Academy before pressing their claim for a Tigers cap in Premier Cricket.

The third new full State Contract goes to 22-year-old, 207cm right-arm quick, Alex Bevilaqua, who moves to Tasmania from Western Australia.



Bevilaqua has two First-Class caps to his name for WA, taking a wicket in the first innings of each match - both coming in February 2018 vs. NSW at the WACA and the Tigers at Blundstone Arena.



19-year-old Lindisfarne batsman, Keegan Oates, is rewarded with a Rookie Contract for 2019-20.



Oates captained the Tasmanian Under 19 Male side at the National Championships in January this year and was named the Player of the Tournament as the leading run-scorer.

Fellow Lindisfarne CC all-rounder, Jarrod Freeman, retains his Rookie Contract for the summer ahead and joined Oates on an Australian Under 19 Tour of Sri Lanka which followed the National Championships.



18-year-old Freeman earned his second First-Class cap at the Junction Oval vs. Victoria in February having debuted for the Hobart Hurricanes in the KFC Big Bash League in January.



Lawrence Neil-Smith (Clarence), Macallister Wright (Lindisfarne) and Jack White (North Hobart) each retain their Rookie Contracts for this summer too alongside a new rookie addition, NSW quick, Iain Carlisle.



Carlisle joined Oates and Freeman in Sri Lanka having taken 15 wickets at the National Championships for ACT/NSW Country before claiming 4/60 in the first match of the tour in Colombo.



“We’re very pleased to be able to reward the fantastic effort and form Alex Pyecroft and Sean Willis put forward particularly last season with a full State Contract,” said Griffith.



“This highlights the importance of club cricket in the development of First-Class players following an Academy program and our commitment to rewarding strong performances in Premier Cricket.”



“We’re able to prepare for a new summer with the large majority of our squad the same too, which is testament not only to the direction our Male Program continues to head toward but to the buy-in we’ve had from all players.”



“It’ll be great to get the group back together under Jeff Vaughan initially, get to work in the marquee and build our base for the summer with a greater number of games than we’ve had before with our Darwin trip.”



There are four players who have not had their contracts renewed for the summer ahead in all-rounder, Hamish Kingston, right-arm quick bowlers, Nick Buchanan and Aaron Summers and rookie batsman Liam Devlin.



Cricket Tasmania thanks each of the outgoing players for their commitment and hard work as part the program and wishes them the best for their future.

2019-20 Tasmanian Tigers Men's Squad

Full State Contract

George Bailey

Gabe Bell

Alex Bevilaqua

Jackson Bird

Alex Doolan

Jake Doran

James Faulkner

Caleb Jewell

Ben McDermott

Riley Meredith

Simon Milenko

Tim Paine (Contracted by Cricket Australia)

Alex Pyecroft

Sam Rainbird

Tom Rogers

Gurinder Sandhu

Jordan Silk

Matthew Wade

Charlie Wakim

Beau Webster

Sean Willis

Rookie Contract

Iain Carlisle

Jarrod Freeman

Lawrence Neil-Smith

Keegan Oates

Jack White

Macallister Wright

New Players

Alex Bevilaqua - Western Australia

Iain Carlisle - NSW

Keegan Oates - Lindisfarne

Alex Pyecroft - North Hobart

Sean Willis - South Hobart-Sandy Bay

Outgoing Players

Nick Buchanan

Liam Devlin

Hamish Kingston

Aaron Summers