'Have to step up': Young Vic quicks ready for responsibility

Will Sutherland says he is ready for more responsibility as opportunities to lead the Victorian attack loom this summer. 

Since the departure of veteran Peter Siddle (Tasmania) and Chris Tremain (NSW) at the end of the 2019-20 season, Victoria has blooded several young promising quicks in Mitch Perry, Brody Couch, Zak Evans and Cameron McClure.

But the one constant among the development of that group has always been the presence of a senior figure in world-class quicks Scott Boland and James Pattinson.

However, that might not always be the case this season.

Boland is again on the fringes of the Australian Test squad with home series against the West Indies and South Africa coming up, along with a four-match tour to India in February-March, while Pattinson's career has been plagued by injuries and he was recently released from the last month of his county stint with Nottinghamshire to get his body right.

And so it appears likely at some point this summer Victoria's young brigade of fast bowlers will be tasked with going at it alone as they look avenge their runners-up finish in last season's Marsh Sheffield Shield.

Sutherland, with 21 first-class appearances under his belt, is the most experienced of that group, followed by Perry with 16. Couch, Evans and McClure have only played one Shield match each.

"(We) hope that Scott can be over there playing for Australia," Sutherland told the Unplayable Podcast.

"If Scotty Boland's not there, or Patto (Pattinson), it's going to be massive opportunity for some of those guys.

"Mitch and myself will have to step up, we've got a little bit of experience now.

"But I've got full faith in those guys, they're looking great in the nets and they do well in (Second XI) and club cricket, so McClure, Couch, Zak Evans, I'm sure that whoever it is can step up and play a role if required at the back end of the season.

"I really liked what Cam McClure was able to do in the last game of the season before the final, he's shaping up to be a very impressive talent, and Brody Couch has done some pretty good stuff in white-ball and with the Stars."

Sutherland will also enter the 2022-23 season with a lot of confidence after impressing with a marathon 64.1 overs that yielded 5-78 and 1-86 in the drawn Sheffield Shield final against Western Australia in March, which handed WA their first title in 23 years as they gained more first innings bonus points.

While content with where his red-ball game is at, Sutherland explains he is targeting improvement in his batting and death bowling as he looks to build on his impressive finish to 2021-22 when Victoria's season gets underway on September 23 when they take on NSW in the Marsh One-Day Cup.

"It was a bit disappointing obviously not getting the result we wanted but … a great experience for me and a few others to play in Shield final," said Sutherland.

"It just makes me hungry to try and win one in the next few years and to play a role and bowl that many overs was good sign.

"An area of my game that needs improvement is definitely white-ball and there's opportunities for both Victoria and the Renegades to step up and take that death bowling position.

"I definitely want to bat as high as possible. Mitch Perry with a score of 74 (as nightwatchman in the Shield final), he's putting a bit of pressure on me from behind.

"It hasn't quite clicked for me so far, but (I'm) always trying to be genuine allrounder and keep chipping away on the batting to try get up to six or seven as soon as possible."

Sutherland also revealed exclusively on the Unplayable Podcast he would be returning to Melbourne Renegades for KFC BBL|12 after signing a one-year extension with the club.

After Pattinson was released from the final year of his Renegades contract to prioritise his fitness for first-class cricket and spend time with his family over Christmas, there are also opportunities for Sutherland to step up and partner experienced international quick Kane Richardson in the death overs.

"I'd definitely love to play more of a role with the ball; I don't think I'll be taking the leader of the attack title off Kane Richardson anytime soon but to help him out, he's had to do the bulk of the work over the last few years and just hasn't had the support that he deserves," said Sutherland.

"Hopefully, I can help him out with a few overs here and there and as a bowling group start to get something going."

The Renegades will be relying on their domestic fast bowlers to get the job done when they launch their BBL|12 season against Brisbane Heat in Cairns on December 15 after they picked overseas spinners Mujeeb ur Rahman and Akeal Hosein in the draft, along with power-hitter Liam Livingstone, who also bowls a combination of off and leg-spin.

Melbourne Renegades BBL|12 squad (so far): Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Mackenzie Harvey, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Liam Livingstone (England), Nic Maddinson (c), Shaun Marsh, Mujeeb ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells

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