Tasmania have snapped up teenage batting star Jake Doran on a two-year contract, comparing the “coup” to their signing of Shane Watson 14 years ago.

NSW wanted to retain the talented 18-year-old, who played for the Prime Minister’s X1 against England and the Chairman’s XI against South Africa in the recent summer.

But Cricket NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said they were not in a position to match Tasmania’s offer to Doran, who was in the NSW second XI and yet to make his first-class debut.

Tasmania’s chairman of selectors Michael Farrell confirmed the two-year deal.

“Jake Doran is coming to play cricket on a long-term basis for Tasmania,” said Farrell, adamant there was no assurance of a spot in the Sheffield Shield team.

“We don’t do that, we just don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Farrell said.

“A lot of work goes into a playing list so there’s no guarantee of a game.”

The move comes a fortnight after former Test opener Ed Cowan announced he would leave Tasmania to return to Sydney.

“(Doran) will come down and press his claims like everyone else,” Farrell said.

“Cowan going has certainly left a big hole in our list and we’ve got to rebuild quickly.”

Farrell said the move was “reasonably similar” to Tasmania’s signing of Queenslander Watson, who made his first-class debut for the state in 2001 at age 20 and got his break into international cricket there before returning north in 2004.

“Shane came down here just to boost our playing stocks really quickly and he did that, which got his international career underway,” he said.

“It’s similar to that. I would probably say that Shane was well advanced when he came down here. It was just a matter of him honing his game.

“We’re hopeful Jake will do that but Shane was a touch more advanced than probably what Jake is.”

Jones said NSW wasn’t going to make an exception for Doran in order to keep him.

“We have invested heavily in Jake’s development and were keen to keep him.

“We made him an offer based on his age, potential and performances at senior level to date.

“The success of NSW cricket for well over a century has been built entirely on merit-based selection and reward, and our offer was consistent with these principles.”

He is fully entitled to make that choice and we wish him well.”