The club stint that put Perry on path to Aus A selection

Wicketless on a bowler-friendly pitch that yielded 30 scalps in two days, and going at over four runs an over – the 2022-23 season did not start as Mitch Perry had envisaged.

With Scott Boland spending more and more time away with the Australian squad, Victoria needed their younger quicks to step up, and Perry knew it.

Ten days after that innings demolition at the hands of Queensland in mid-November, the 22-year-old found himself dropped to the second XI as state selectors opted to try their other emerging seamers, Fergus O'Neill and Sam Elliott, after a winless start to the Marsh Sheffield Shield season.

Image Id: B209B7BA24BA43E19CF5E49229F4BF28 Image Caption: Perry dismissed by Mark Steketee as Victoria were bowled out for 63 // Getty

It was the first Shield match Perry had missed since his first-class debut in October 2020.

After initially trying to erase from his memory that Queensland match, the right-armer credits it as the spark he needed to drastically turnaround his season, which now has him on the verge of an Australia A debut this weekend.

"I lost my spot after that Queensland game … and I got some pretty hard truths from 'Bucky' (Chris Rogers) and our bowling coach 'Griff' (Adam Griffith)," Perry said.

"It was probably a bit of a kick in the butt to know 'actually, it's pretty easy to lose your spot in this team, we're all going pretty well'.

"I was putting a little bit too much pressure on myself to start the season that 'Bazza' (Boland) might not be here, I've probably got to take wickets.

"I think I just cost myself with a bit more pressure."

Back in the second XI, Perry was given the captaincy responsibilities and led from the front with seven wickets in the match and an unbeaten half-century in the second innings.

"Your journey isn't linear, you have your ups and downs, you get challenged along the way," Victorian head coach Rogers said.

"Sometimes you just need to go back, find some confidence and work on a few things.

"We probably identified a couple of little things that he needed to work on and the great thing about him was he was really receptive.

"He went and captained a four-day second XI game, loved the experience, took a lot of confidence out of it … and hopefully this is a sign of things to come."

A more relaxed Perry was recalled to the Victorian team when the competition resumed in February and what followed was a career-best Shield season despite missing those two games prior to the KFC BBL|12 break.

His 22 wickets at 17.68 following a recall, including his maiden first-class five-wicket haul against South Australia, played a key part in the Vics also turning their fortunes around as they won five games on the trot to qualify for the final against Western Australia.

It also earnt him a spot in the 14-player Australia A squad for the tour of New Zealand beginning tomorrow.

Perry said learning to relax and "just bowl" during his 11 games with Premier Cricket side Richmond while on the outer of the state side went a long way to helping him win back his place.

"Speaking to 'Griff' the month (after) I was dropped, I think it's just run out (and) just relax, be free flowing and let the ball come out," he said.

"That's my cues at the moment."

With the 'A' tour to New Zealand's South Island for two four-day matches designed to replicate English conditions for a few of the squad's Ashes hopefuls, a couple of strong performances with the Dukes ball by the Victorian swing bowler – who hit 140kph during the Shield final at the WACA – could make for a rapid rise into national calculations.

Not that Perry is reading too much into the hype.

"I think it's more for a few of the senior guys that are probably going to be sniffing around the Ashes tour to get them prepared for that," he said after arriving in Lincoln this week.

"Eventually down the track I would like to think I could play at the highest level, but if this is the highest level I ever play I'll be pretty chuffed with this opportunity.

"So I'm just taking every opportunity I get in those conditions and bowling with the (Dukes) ball.

"I've never played a game with the (Dukes ball) so it's going to be pretty exciting. Hopefully we can put on a couple of good games of cricket."

New Zealand A v Australia A series

First four-day match: April 1-4, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln

Second four-day match: April 8-11, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln

Both matches will be live streamed on nzc.nz.

Australia A squad: Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, Jordan Buckingham, Aaron Hardie, Caleb Jewell, Spencer Johnson, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Mitch Perry, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Tim Ward, Teague Wyllie

New Zealand A squad: Tom Bruce (c), Adi Ashok, Doug Bracewell, Henry Cooper, Jacob Duffy (Game 1 only), Dean Foxcroft, Cam Fletcher, Mitch Hay, Scott Kuggeleijn (Game 2 only), Cole McConchie, Robbie O'Donnell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Brett Randell, Sean Solia