Mitchell Swepson’s rare 42-year feat in Sheffield Shield thriller

The cricket community is singing the praises of Queensland leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who has been touted as a bowling “genius”.

Mitchell Swepson of the Queensland Bulls.

Rising star Mitchell Swepson has become the first Queensland spin bowler to claim a ten-wicket haul in the Sheffield Shield in 42 years.

Swepson claimed five wickets in both innings of Queensland’s narrow one-wicket loss to the New South Wales Blues in Adelaide, which ended in nailbiting circumstances on Monday afternoon.

After claiming 5/97 in the first innings at Karen Rolton Oval, the leggie snared another five-wicket haul on day four to finish with career-best match figures of 10/171.

Ironically, the previous Queensland tweaker to achieve the rare feat was national selector Trevor Hohns, who was watching on from the boundary.

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Former Australian spin bowler Brad Hogg tweeted: “The most pleasing thing early on this Sheffield Shield season are the performances from Mitchell Swepson. Australia have been searching and pushing for spin depth. Love this young man’s work ethic, attention to detail, will to improve and do the job for his team.”

Swepson having the game of his life but Qld quicks bowling round the wicket short stuff all session and suddenly scores are level #SheffieldShield

— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) November 2, 2020

A maiden 10-wicket match haul for Mitchell Swepson

Plenty of players have impressed in the Sheffield Shield hub, but few have gained as much as he has.#SheffieldShield

— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) November 2, 2020

Five wickets to Mitchell Swepson in the first innings against New South Wales with a chance to bowl in the fourth innings at some point tomorrow. He just keeps getting better. @qldcricket #SheffieldShield

— Adam White (@White_Adam) November 1, 2020

Queensland captain Usman Khawaja believes Swepson is the second-best spin bowler in the country, behind Test stalwart Nathan Lyon.

“I was facing him in the nets and just seeing how well he was bowling, and I’m like, ‘This is just coming out really nicely’,” Khawaja told cricket.com.au.
“All the pressure that’s been put on him, he’s always come up. He’s had pressure for us coming into these last two games, and he’s won us games at the back end. And he’s helped win us games in the front end.

“He’s going at sometimes less than two (runs per over) — that’s unbelievable. He just doesn’t give them anything.

“For him to have so much control bowling leggies — I didn’t play against Warnie — but from what I’ve seen from leg-spinners after Warnie and Stuey MacGill, he’s the best I’ve seen.”

While Swepson finished the 2019/2020 season with 14 wickets in six first-class matches, he has already claimed 15 scalps in Queensland’s two Sheffield Shield games this season.

Before the tournament commenced last month, Swepson spoke to ESPNcricinfo about his desire to become a matchwinner in the game’s longest format.

“It’s a little bit frustrating because growing up and watching a lot of cricket as a youngster and as a spinner, day four is your day, your time to shine, but I really haven’t had much experience of doing that and playing that role,” Swepson said in early October.

“I’m not getting that experience of being a matchwinning bowler on day four in Shield cricket, so I need to come up with a way of training and finding ways at training to practice that matchwinning scenario and practice my skills under pressure.”

Thankfully, Swepson was granted that opportunity during Queensland’s unforgettable match against Tasmania in October, when he claimed four wickets on the final day to secure a thrilling victory.

Mitchell Swepson of the Queensland Bulls celebrates the wicket of Kurtis Patterson.

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Swepson is yet to make his Test debut, but has already been touted as Lyon’s understudy. When Australia next tour to subcontinent, a Baggy Green seems inevitable.

The 27-year-old has played one T20 international for Australia, claiming 2/37 against England in June 2018.

Although he was occasionally excluded from Queensland’s team due to seam-friendly pitches, Khawaja has promised Swepson will feature in the state’s starting XI regardless of the conditions.

“He’s our best spinner. Does Australia play their best spinner every game? Yes, they play Nathan Lyon so why aren’t we playing our best spinner?” Khawaja told cricket.com.au.

“We made the decision that if we play at the Gabba, Mitchell Swepson is going to play.

“When he did bowl at the Gabba, he bowled like a genius.

“If you can bowl like that at the Gabba, one of the hardest places in the world to bowl spin, he can bowl anywhere.”

Queensland will face the South Australia Redbacks — who are yet to record a victory in the 2020/21 Sheffield Shield — on Sunday, November 8 for their next four-day fixture.