Premier Cricket: Footscray bowler Jordan Buckingham’s stocks rising
Footscray bowler Jordan Buckingham reveals the big names behind his rapid improvement in Premier Cricket after he was picked in CV’s Emerging Performance Squad.
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Footscray paceman Jordan Buckingham turned promise into performance last summer.
With the Dogs losing several bowlers to injury during the campaign, including spearhead Jake Reed, the 20-year-old seized his opportunity.
But only a few months later, Buckingham has become used to “fetching my own ball”.
It is the new norm amid the coronavirus pandemic as uncertainty remains over when the first delivery will be sent down.
Buckingham said he was training two or three days a week in preparation for the coming season.
“The old man is good enough to come down and throw some balls to me, so pretty privileged in that area,” he said.
“There’s no preference (on location), as long as they’re dry and have a set of stumps at the other end, that’s fine.”
It is the attitude of an emerging seamer craving his next chance to charge in at opposition batsmen.
Buckingham grabbed 26 wickets at 22.31 apiece in a career-best Premier Cricket First XI season in 2020-21.
When you consider he made three First XI appearances the previous season for a return of two wickets and took 10 wickets at 53.6 for Greenvale Kangaroos in 2017-18, it has been a swift rise to prominence in the state’s pre-eminent cricket competition.
In June, Buckingham was rewarded with a spot in Cricket Victoria’s 14-player Emerging Performance Squad (formerly known as the Futures League Academy winter squad).
He attracted the attention of selectors the previous year to earn selection, but now he has an impressive Premier Cricket season behind him.
“After getting a little bit of a taste of it last year and following on with a decent enough Premier Cricket season, I thought I may have been a little bit of a sniff,” Buckingham said.
“But still didn’t expect anything. I was pretty happy to get the selection.
“I worked pretty hard … had a few opportunities last season, took them, and got a little bit of reward.”
The program allows players to train in a professional environment.
Ryder Medallist James Seymour, ex-Victoria rookie Ed Newman, Melbourne Renegade Brayden Stepien and former Queensland bowler Jack Prestwidge were among others included.
“Training with some really good players and bowling to some really good batsmen, you’ve got no choice but to improve,” Buckingham said.
“It was an awesome few sessions (last year). I think we had two sessions a week for a couple of weeks and then played a praccy game and stuff, so no complaints.”
Buckingham credited the likes of former state player and Footscray coach Allan Wise and ex-Australia fast bowler Mick Lewis for playing key roles in his improvement.
He also has access to the great Merv Hughes, while Reed and Jackson Coleman are members of the Dogs’ squad.
“It probably wasn’t planned that way but it panned out that way, and I was more than happy to take that lead role. It was awesome,” Buckingham said of his rise up the pecking order.
“I worked pretty hard in the pre-season with ‘Wisey’. Obviously his knowledge is through the roof. With Micky Lewis at Cricket Victoria, I just developed a bit of a change-up ball, worked on the bouncer.
“It was probably my most consistent year.”
Buckingham conceded he is “not rapid” but it matters little given his consistency, ability to hit the seam and the swing he can generate.
His standout displays last season came against two of the Premier Cricket’s most powerful clubs — Melbourne (4-34) and Carlton (4-47).
“I guess they’re two pretty proud clubs. I was stoked to get a bit of reward against them,” Buckingham said.
He said it was a tough decision to depart the Kangaroos and difficult to spend most of his first season at Footscray in the seconds.
But he is looking to improve again in 2020-21 by establishing himself as a vital part of the Dogs’ side in the shorter formats.
“I was sort of thrown around the order a little bit, so I want to nail down that powerplay position in the white ball and opening the bowling in that as well as red ball,” Buckingham said.
“I think we’re going to get more chance to do it this year with the talk of predominantly a white-ball season.”
Victorian competitions are set to be filled with one-day fixtures this season as officials scramble to plan around COVID-19.
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