Australia players prepare ahead of ICC U19 Cricket World Cup

The annual Cricket Australia National Championships are set to continue this week, with the Under-19 Male National Championship getting underway tomorrow in Adelaide and the Under-18 Female National Championship commencing on 18 January in Ballarat.

The National Championships are a cornerstone of the Cricket Australia High Performance pathway and have seen players such as Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Ellyse Perry, Lisa Sthalekar and Meg Lanning develop into the stars they are today.

The event also provides an important opportunity for players to impress ahead of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012.

In the Under-19 Championship Victoria will be looking for back-to-back titles, which would see them equal New South Wales' record of 16 trophies.

New South Wales are the reigning Under-18 champions, after finishing 10 points clear of their nearest rivals in last year's event.