Keep living the dream of big runs

RUNS are the only currency Trent Keep wants to deal in this summer as he chases a dream only two seasons ago he thought may have eluded him.

Keep returns to South Hobart-Sandy Bay for the 2018-19 CTPL campaign, two years after packing up and heading to South Australia after being overlooked for the state contract many felt he deserved.

Then 21, Keep had finished 2014-15 as the competition’s leading run scorer (775 at an average of 55.36), and backed up the following year with another 533 runs at 38 as the Sharks captured their maiden two-day crown.

However it was not enough to earn a rookie deal under the old administration and so the talented batsman moved to Adelaide, where he peeled off 607 runs at 32 playing for East Torrens. Keep rejoined his hometown club Latrobe last year, coaching the Demons to premiership glory while amassing 1185 runs at 65.8, and now feels more ready than ever to pursue higher honours.

“It is based around cricket, but there are also opportunities around study and work,” said Keep, who will move to Hobart with his entire family in the next fortnight.

“I know there is a Greater Northern team now but I felt my best opportunity was to go back to South Hobart-Sandy Bay.

“I think there will be some opportunities, a good friend of mine, Sean Willis, got some runs in grade cricket and he played second XI as well.

“From the early conversations I have had with people at Bellerive, if you are getting the runs they will try and reward you as best they can.”

Keep admits he was bitterly disappointed when he was not given a Tigers opportunity, but is ready to prove he still has what it takes.

“I felt I maybe deserved one, but so many things now have changed at Bellerive. I have been there a little bit with the academy stuff and having one-on-one sessions. It was a little bit disappointing and a little bit hard to take. I went through a time where I thought ‘stuff it’ and looking back I probably wouldn’t have went that way.

“I spoke with my manager [about the move to Adelaide] … we thought after the year I had, maybe opportunities in Tasmania weren’t going to be there.

“Now things have changed. The whole dynamic has changed and they seem to be rewarding guys straight out of grade cricket.

“Hopefully for me at 24 the ship hasn’t sailed, but it will just come down to getting runs.”