Darwin fast bowler Tom Menzies has been selected in a Cricket Australia XI squad to face Bangladesh at Marrara Cricket Ground from 6 to 8 August.
The three-day red-ball match will be played as a 13-a-side contest ahead of Bangladesh’s Test against Australia.
Menzies is one of 14 players selected in the squad and the Northern Territory representative in a group featuring emerging players from across Australia.
Cricket Australia XI squad announcement, 23 July 2026
Born and raised in Darwin, Menzies has progressed through Darwin Cricket Club, Northern Territory junior teams, the Strike League, NT Strike and Australia Under-19s.
He continues to play Darwin cricket while pursuing further opportunities interstate and overseas.
Menzies played his junior and senior local cricket with Darwin Cricket Club before progressing into Northern Territory representative teams. He had competed at 10 national tournaments. These included four Under-19 National Championships, one Under-17 National Championship and five School Sport Australia carnivals.
In 2022, he was named in Cricket Australia’s Male Under-19 Team of the Championships while representing the NT.
Menzies later captained the Territory at Under-17 and Under-19 level.
At the 2023 Under-17 National Championships, he took 4-48 against South Australia and 2-19 against Queensland.
His performances earned him selection for Australia’s Under-19 tour of England in 2023.
Menzies was the youngest player in the squad and the first Northern Territorian selected in an Australian men’s Under-19 squad since Tom Andrews in 2014.
“I can’t wait to pull on the green and gold and represent my country and the Territory.”
Australian Under-19 squad announcement, 29 July 2023
The tour included one-day and four-day matches against England. Menzies took two early wickets in the fourth Youth ODI.
Darwin’s winter cricket competitions have been an important part of Menzies’ development.
The Darwin and Districts Cricket Competition provides regular senior club cricket, while the Strike League, Top End T20 Series and NT Strike give local players opportunities against state, Big Bash and international cricketers.
Menzies was selected for NT Strike as a 17-year-old ahead of the 2023 Top End T20 Series.
His selection followed a strong Strike League campaign.
In the 2023 final, Menzies bowled Caelan Maladay with the second-last ball to help Desert Blaze defeat City Cyclones by one run.
The Strike League and Top End T20 Series have allowed Menzies to play alongside experienced professional cricketers while continuing his development in Darwin.
Speaking about those opportunities, he said:
"I just try to sponge up everything I can."
Fox Cricket profile, 24 September 2023
Menzies began spending time in Adelaide in 2023 to play South Australian Premier Cricket and access additional training opportunities.
He played with Kensington before joining Adelaide University. He has also trained within the South Australian system and spent an English summer playing for Leatherhead in Surrey.
Menzies has continued to represent NT Strike while playing interstate.
He was selected in the 2024 Top End T20 Series squad after returning from England and again played for the Territory in 2025.
Menzies took 12 wickets during the 2025 Top End T20 Series, finishing two wickets behind the competition’s joint leading wicket-takers.
He also finished second in the 2025-26 Sincock Medal for South Australian Men’s First Grade Division Two, receiving 19 votes for Adelaide University.
Menzies’ selection shows the range of opportunities now available through Northern Territory cricket.
He developed through Darwin Cricket Club and NT junior teams before progressing into the Strike League, NT Strike, the Top End T20 Series and Australian Under-19 cricket.
Interstate and overseas cricket have added to that experience, while Darwin remains his home and an ongoing part of his playing career.
“I’m very lucky and proud of where I have come from.”
Cricket Australia profile, 17 December 2024
His Cricket Australia XI selection is the latest opportunity for a player developed through the Territory system and provides another example for young NT cricketers following the same pathway.