Thomson, an East Ballarat export, and fellow Central Highlands Pathways players Jakob Tidyman (Carisbrook/North Ballarat) and Matt Underwood (Gisborne) are named in a Vic Country squad for state trials later this month.

Country will battle Vic Metro in a multi-format series at under-17 and under-19 levels in Cobram and Barooga, with an additional trial match for under-17 in November to finalise the Victorian team leading into nationals.

Thomson was part of the Victorian team as a bottom-age player last summer. The promising batsman moved to Victorian Premier Cricket club Melbourne with brother Darcy last season to fine-tune their games.

Tidyman has been impressing in North Ballarat firsts’ top order in the Ballarat Cricket Association and reached last season’s Vic Country squad intake.

Underwood had an injury-riddled season with premier club Greenvale but showed promising form in the seconds.

He has transferred to premier club Footscray-Edgewater in the off-season.

Victorian Bushrangers rookie and East Ballarat export Matt Short remains eligible for the Victorian under-19 team but will miss the trial series in Cobram/Barooga due to Bushrangers duties.

The Country-Metro trial series will feature a two-day match, a Twenty20 and one-day game.

Since the series was established in 2012, Victoria has finished first and second in the under-17 national championships.

Players selected for the series will attend a preparation day at Maribyrnong College on September 14 for skills drills.

Meanwhile, Matt Short has started with the Bushrangers in a pre-season tournament against Tasmania.

Short featured in a brief partnership with Alex Keath in the Bushrangers’ two-wicket win in the series opener on Sunday in Queensland.

The tour will include training sessions at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

Short is part of a 19-man Bushrangers squad that will contest five one-dayers and one two-day fixture for a warm-up to the interstate one-day cup, which starts on October 4.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au