Siddle back in the attack

By Paul Pickering
AFTER a year of injury-induced frustration, it took one inspired spell of bowling to make Peter Siddle feel he finally belonged in Bushranger blue.
Last week the Endeavour Hills resident struck the death blow for the Vics in their Pura Cup demolition of South Australia, taking 5/27 as the Redbacks capitulated on the final day.
The maiden five-wicket haul, which included three scalps in a single over, has thrust Siddle into the domestic spotlight again – two years after making his first class debut against the West Indies as a 20-year-old.
Having secured a full contract with Victoria last summer, Siddle’s fledgling Bushranger career was threatened by a severe shoulder injury that kept him out of the side until late in the season.
But with figures of 7/74 in Victoria’s first four-day fixture of the summer, Siddle has seized the opportunity to establish himself as a mainstay of the Bushranger attack.
Reflecting on his breakthrough performance, the modest 22-year-old said it all seemed to fall into place for him on the fourth-day Adelaide Oval pitch.
“In the first innings I had to work really hard for a couple of wickets, but in the second I just felt like I had a nice rhythm up and I had a bit of luck,” he said.
“I didn’t really know what was going on because it all happened pretty quickly.”
Raised in Gippsland, Siddle joined the Panthers program seven years ago and now lives in Endeavour Hills.
Having shared the glory of Victorian Premier Cricket premiership with his Dandenong team-mates last summer, Siddle says it has been bittersweet to miss the last few games because of state duties.
“They’ve had a couple of losses, so when they’re losing is always disappointing not to be playing, but it’s always a great opportunity to be able to represent Victoria,” he said.
Panthers coach Warren Ayres, though, is not holding his breath for Siddle’s return.
“Everything you want from a person at that age – he’s got it,” Ayres said.
“He’s a star and I hope his prospects are that he plays for Victoria and gets the chance to play for Australia.”
But for now, Siddle says he is just happy to be fit and playing cricket again.