He is the leading wicket-taker in the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield and was impressive in the Big Bash League. We take a look at future Australian star Fergus O’Neill.
Melbourne Renegades’ final group match of the 2024/25 BBL was a mixed bag for Fergus O’Neill. He was removed from the attack in the first innings for entering the danger area several times, but then smashed a couple of boundaries to cap his season with an impressive chase.
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However, that wasn’t the highlight of his season as the Victorian pacer put in impressive performances for the Renegades. Fergus O’Neill played eight matches in the tournament and took seven wickets at 6.94.
Among all the bowlers tested by the Melbourne red team, only left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell had an economy of less than 7 rpo. For the closers, the other three regular players, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland and Tom Rogers, gave up more than 8 rpo.
How has Fergus O’Neill fared in the Sheffield Shield?
The six-foot-five right-arm seamer has been a consistent performer for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield since making his debut in October 2022. A brief look at his numbers shows that he has been fantastic in red-ball cricket.
Fergus O’Neill has played 24 matches of first-class cricket, capturing 94 wickets at a magnificent average of 19.91, including four five-wicket hauls. In his debut Shield season, he picked 27 wickets at 24.92.
The following year, he was Victoria’s leading wicket-taker and fifth highest overall, with 42 scalps at 19.90 apiece.
And as for the current Sheffield Shield season, O’Neill sits joint-top with New South Wales’ Jackson Bird, having taken 22 wickets at 19.31. At the start of this season, O’Neill got the chance to bowl against Steve Smith and bowled a few Test lines before dismissing the superstar batsman.
In November, he made his mark for Australia A, when he took 4 for 55 in the second innings at Mackay. He continued his form and went on a rampage in their clash against Queensland at the MCG, taking 5 for 51 and 4 for 22 in two innings, although he ended up on the losing side.
Could Fergus O’Neill make his debut for Australia in the future?
The 23-year-old fast bowler has the potential to be a star for Australia in all formats. He has the height, he has shown good control, he has the skills to make the most of useful conditions and he has the numbers to back it up.
Australia’s current bowling stock is not looking very good. As well as the quartet of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, they have Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and Jhye Richardson, who are usually chosen as back-up options. Neser and Abbott are both in their 30s, while Richardson’s entire career has been marred by injuries.
Also, in the domestic circuit, there are not many young fast bowlers who are consistently doing well or even showing good promise, barring Lance Morris.
With such poor actions and age on his side, there is a good chance that O’Neill could be called up in the near future. He has already become a BBL star and this could be just the beginning. All you need to do is stay fit and keep knocking on the door.