BBL14: Callum Stow reflects on ‘nerve-racking’ Melbourne Renegades debut and key advice from Adam Zampa

In his first BBL game, Callum Stow was thrown in the deep end with the game on the line. The Geelong young gun reflects on his debut, learning off Adam Zampa and more.

As the Hobart Hurricanes were closing in on victory with 17 runs to get off the last two overs, Melbourne Renegades captain Will Sutherland made a bold call.

Instead of putting himself, strike bowler Tom Rogers or Englishman Jacob Bethell – who had figures of 2-29 – on for the penultimate over, he handed the ball to 22-year-old Big Bash debutant Callum Stow.

Experienced leg spinners generally don’t bowl the second-last over of a T20, let alone those in their first match.

The Geelong young gun had taken his maiden BBL wicket earlier in the innings on Tuesday night but curtailing in-form finisher Tim David, coming off back-to-back scores of 62 in winning chases, was a baptism of fire.

Stow managed to give his side a fighting chance in their last-over defeat by conceding nine off the 19th – something few bowlers have been able to do in recent games against David at the death – with a full toss that was dispatched to the boundary the only blip.

Will Sutherland (left) entrusted Callum Stow with the penultimate over. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

“It was good that they showed some faith in me to bowl that over and probably one bad ball there in that over and it went for four but the rest – under that type of pressure – I was pretty happy with, just a couple of mistakes here and there I guess,” Stow said.

Stow finished with a rock-solid 1-31 from his four overs, claiming the wicket of Jake Doran in a bizarre over that everything.

“It was good to get on the board,” Stow said.

“The over was an interesting over, I didn’t land many on the pitch. They were all full tosses and I was just trying to land one on the pitch really and then he tried to sweep a pretty full ball and chopped on which was lucky.”

The humble Stow doubted whether a debut would come with Australian white-ball tweaker Adam Zampa still in the side, but the pair combined nicely as Zampa (0-23) kept things tight.

Callum Stow and Jake Fraser-McGurk celebrate the wicket of Jake Doran Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

“It was a bit of a surprise, always thought with Zampa in the team that there wasn’t going to be enough chance to get an opportunity to play, but I was just at the airport and Whitey (coach Cameron White) came up to me and shook my hand and said ‘you’ll be playing tomorrow’,” Stow said,

“It was definitely pretty nerve-racking, obviously new environment in front of a bit of a crowd and live television and stuff like that.

“Didn’t bowl how I would’ve liked, I didn’t land the ball very well, but it was a good experience nonetheless and hopefully something I can take and continue into my career.”

Luke Muller has played a pivotal role in shaping Stow in Premier Cricket at Geelong, while Brenton McDonald, the brother of Australian coach Andrew, has also played a role in his development.

Zampa has taken Stow under his wing in his first BBL season and the youngster has soaked up all the knowledge he can from him and former Test and Victorian player Jon Holland, who is part of the Renegades set-up.

One of the biggest lessons he has learnt from Zampa is the fickle nature of T20 cricket.

“He’s got really good knowledge to learn from. I’ve been trying to see how he goes about the game and what he does and just learn as much as I can from a world class bowler and see if I can take a leaf or two out of his book and see if I can follow,” Stow said.

“Cricket’s a funny game and especially as a spin bowler, there is going to be times where it goes your way and it doesn’t go your way.

“He has been really good in conveying that to me that some days it is going to be good, and some days it won’t be.

“So it is just about keeping that level sort of head.”

Callum Stow bowls to a Richmond batter last November. Picture: Carey Neate.

It has been a big 12 months for Stow’s Geelong teammate and U19 World Cup winner Ollie Peake, who was signed by the Renegades last week, but he has also come a long way.

Stow joined the Renegades for the Top End T20 tournament in Darwin in August and also jetted over to the Carribean to represent Victoria in the Global Super League.

The Victorian team included players from the San Francisco Unicorns franchise in Major League Cricket and others from Premier Cricket, with Stow claiming hauls of 4-17 and 3-15 during the competition.

“Last few months have been a really good opportunity I’ve had, especially the opportunity to go to Darwin in the pre-season with the Renegades and go off to Guyana and play in T20 tournament over there was pretty cool,” Stow said.

“Then to be able to come in and be around the environment of Big Bash has been a really good experience and definitely learnt a lot.

“’Peakey’ is an unreal player and it has been really good to be able to spend some time with him in the professional environment and hopefully there is more to come.”

Now that he has got his first taste, the Leopold product’s goal is to play as much high-level cricket as he can.

“Obviously it is just the start and I have still got a long way to go, but hopefully some contracts at some stage will come my way and I can make the most of the opportunities that teams give me and work as hard as I can for that,” Stow said.

Originally published as BBL14: Callum Stow reflects on ‘nerve-racking’ Melbourne Renegades debut and key advice from Adam Zampa