Last Saturday the 15-year-old played his first game for Western Districts in the ACT first grade competition.

Engelbrecht garnered selection after he took 22 wickets in various one-day and Twenty20 matches for the club’s second grade team during the early months of the season. 

His leg spinners weren’t needed against North Canberra-Gungahlin in the first innings as Wests bundled the side out for 89. However, his side has put together a 150-plus lead and could play a part in wrapping up an outright win for the first grade side this weekend. 

In the senior grades Engelbecht’s bowling average is 8.86 in division two’s Twenty20 competition and 17.87 from nine other second grade games. 

Since December he has also played, as captain, for St George in the under 16s Green Shield competition after he was given clearance by ACT cricket to play in the Sydney competition.

Last Thursday, the boys scraped in to eighth place after St George chased Fairfield-Liverpool’s total within 30 overs to secure the bonus point.

Engelbrecht batted at first drop and his side was 1/2 when he came to the crease.

He went on to hit 78 from 72 balls and was bowled when St George was 3/121.

His team mates hit the winning runs for the bonus point with nine balls to spare and secured a berth in the quarter-final against the ladder-leading Penrith.

On Tuesday, St George’s run came to an end.

The boys could only muster 132 and Penrith reached the target with seven wickets in hand. 

Engelbrecht’s hot run of form in the competition was undone by a golden duck but his average remained above the half-century mark.

He tallied 274 runs at an average of 54.8 and his best knocks were 84 not out against Parramatta, 67 not out against Mosman and the match-winning innings against Fairfield-Liverpool. 

While he hasn’t taken as many wickets in the Green Shield as the Canberra competition, he stills boasts an average of 28 with the ball. 

Engelbrecht praised batting coach Tom Purcell for his effort to improve his technique which has lifted his scores.