How one innings gave Adelaide University recruit Campbell Vadlja the confidence to pursue his — and his dad’s — dream
Treading water a year ago, one record innings has turned Adelaide University cricket recruit Campbell Vadlja's career around. See this week’s best SACA cricket performers in our weekly wrap.
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When Victorian Campbell Vadlja was plodding away in the Monash Tigers' Third XI last season, the 20-year-old’s first-class aspirations seemed to be just a pipe dream.
The son of Mildura cricket legend Tom Vadlja — a seven-time Les Innes Medal winner as the Sunraysia Cricket Association’s best and fairest player — Campbell was renowned as a hard hitter but he had hardly set the world on fire.
“At that stage, being 20 and stuck in the thirds, I was thinking first-class cricket was a long way away for me,’’ Vadlja said.
But a couple of half-centuries in the thirds and a 92 in the seconds saw him receive a late-season, round 13 call-up for the Tigers’ firsts against St Kilda.
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Batting at No. 3 and coming to the crease at 1/1, Vadlja batted and batted and batted.
At the end of day one at Junction Oval, he was unbeaten on 153.
Vadlja was finally dismissed for a brilliant 180 — etching his name in the Victorian Premier Cricket history books.
His score, which took 340 minutes and came from 265 balls, was the highest on debut, beating the previous mark set by former Sri Lankan international Sanath Kaluperuma, who made 134 for Prahran in 1986-87.
It was the turning point in Vadlja’s career.
Suddenly, he could dream big again.
“Before the game I was really nervous and talking to dad on the phone and questioning whether I was good enough to being playing firsts,’’ Vadlja said.
“I’d always said to dad, who is my idol and the biggest influence on my career, that I didn’t want to make my first grade debut until I felt that I was good enough. I didn’t want to be gifted a game.
“But after about 10 minutes of batting I thought, ‘I can do this, I am feeling comfortable’ and I just kept batting.’’
Left-hand batsman Vadlja took apart an attack featuring former Test spinner Michael Beer and hasn’t looked back.
He played the final five games of the season in first grade, including two finals, and finished with 309 runs at an average of 61.8.
“That innings against St Kilda was the turning point for me, it changed me as a player and a person,’’ said Vadlja.
“It was surreal and felt like a dream because that was the longest I had ever batted at any level of cricket.
“Until then I was a guy who would go out and play shots from ball one but on that day I was very patient, batted responsibly, chose my shots wisely and happened to go on with it.
“I basically learnt how to bat properly.’’
Vadlja, who was born and raised in Mildura but finished school at Melbourne's Caulfield Grammar, credited a stint in England last year for improvements to his game.
“Obviously they’ve got different conditions and wickets over there, so it taught me to leave the ball and make better decisions,’’ he said of his winter spent playing at the Hale Barns club.
With his game flourishing, Vadlja approached Cricket Victoria about the possibility of training with one of its senior development squads but was knocked back.
Former Redbacks and Bushrangers allrounder Mark Cleary — a close family friend — rang SA coach Jamie Siddons about Vadlja and he was soon invited to Adelaide Oval to “try out’’ under Siddons’ watchful eye.
After two June indoor sessions on the bowling machine — where balls were fed by his dad — Vadlja was offered a spot in the Emerging Redbacks program, an opportunity he jumped at.
“I don’t want to leave any stone left unturned to give myself the best chance to play first-class cricket, so it was very happy to move to SA,’’ he said.
Vadlja, who turns 21 next month, joined SACA Premier Cricket club Adelaide University, alongside former Western Australian allrounder Will Bosisto.
He made an unbeaten century (113) for Western Grit in the Redbacks League and 73 for Uni in round one against East Torrens and said he was not only batting for himself but also his dad.
“Dad had all the talent in the world but he wasn’t able to move to Melbourne to chase his cricket dream because his hands were needed on his parents’ grape block in Mildura,’’ Vadlja said.
“Knowing his story and the fact that he could have gone on to bigger and better things with his cricket career if he’d been given the opportunity has made me not only want to do it for myself, but also for him.’’
THIS WEEK’S TOP PERFORMERS
BEST WITH BAT
MEN
Conor McInerney (Wood) 125
Sam Kerber (Uni) 124
Jake Brown (Ken) 110 no
Austin Umpherston (PA) 97
Will Bosisto (Uni) 86
Josh Barrett (SD) 81
WOMEN
Ellie Falconer (WT) 55
Ella Wilson (SD) 50
Sarah Lowe (Ken) 33
Hannah Sampson (SD) 31 no
BEST WITH BALL
MEN
Corey Kelly (Sturt) 4/35
Harry Thoman (Wood) 4/37
Logan Pastyn (WT) 4/44
Will Bosisto (Uni) 3/37
Huw Stone (SD) 3/37
Trent Riddle (SD) 3/44
WOMEN
Shania McKinnon (Ken) 3/4
Sophie Roberts (ND) 3/16
Kelly Armstrong (SD) 3/19
Narelle Maiolo (SD) 2/0
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WILL BOSISTO
(Adelaide Uni)
Former Western Australian first-class allrounder played a big role in Adelaide University’s win against Port Adelaide, making 86 and taking 3/37.
($100 Cricket Warehouse voucher)
CHAMPION PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Sam Kerber (Uni) 347
Will Bosisto (Uni) 276
Austin Umpherston (PA) 230
Cam Valente (Adel) 227
Jake Brown (Ken) 214
Patrick Page (Adel) 206
Ben Pengelley (Adel) 200
Conor McInerney (Wood) 198
($2000 Kookaburra kit for men’s player of the season)