Like most young fast bowlers, Sam Doggett aspired to be Brett Lee. Either for his speed with the ball or his enigmatic celebrations, the legendary quick inspired the nation’s cricket tragic’s, and ushered in a new era of Australian fast bowling. Growing up in Toowoomba, the game became central to Sam’s upbringing, as his visions of ‘Binga’ took him to the nets on a daily basis. With younger brother, Brendan, in tow the duo began to emerge as intriguing prospects. Driven by a desire to bowl as fast as they could, the pair have bounced off each other to become the cricketers they are today. “Growing up I wanted to be Brett Lee so I mimicked everything he did, and then Brendan just wanted to be me — which I know he’s quoted before!” Sam recalled. “Everything I did Brendan would follow, and still does to this day I reckon. “We grew up in Toowoomba backing onto the cricket nets so we can thank mum and dad for that,” he continued. “Every afternoon we were in the nets trying to bowl as fast as we could — probably trying to hit each other in the head where possible. “The batting didn't really develop too much, but the bowling certainly did.” After a stint working in Sydney, ‘Teddy’ Doggett has returned to Western Suburbs, hopeful of reuniting his formidable new ball combination with his younger brother.
Their reunion, however, has had to wait, with Brendan’s rapid rise into the national set up taking his services to India with the Australia A squad. His meteoric development in the Bulls triumphant Sheffield Shield campaign last season has the 22-year-old paceman firmly on the national radar, and this in part has fuelled Sam’s decision to return to Queensland. “At the start of the year I had a bit of a feeling that Brendan was going to go on to bigger and better things, and we haven’t got to play a lot of cricket together,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to play cricket with him — we’re best mates — so I quit my job to move back to Brisbane before he got any better. “I’d rather be seeing him play national colours, but if there’s ever a game in his schedule I’d be stoked to run into the wind — I daresay he’ll be bowling downwind.” Sam’s last full season with the Magpies was a memorable one. Sharing the new ball with his partner in crime, he was instrumental to Wests premiership tilt, finishing as the competition’s second highest wicket taker (49 @ 18.27). Victory in the 2016/17 Cam Battersby Cup final against the University of Queensland sealed a family title, as Sam shattered the castle of former ODI batsman Peter Forrest to lay the platform for Brendan’s four-wicket haul. His absence clearly hasn’t diminished his ability with the ball, taking figures of 2/17 in Wests victory over the Gold Coast to kick-start the new season with a win. His dismissal of powerhouse Bulls contractee, Max Bryant, for a duck set the tone for the convincing triumph. Not that he has been short of match fitness. Last winter, Sam and Brendan were named as part of the National Indigenous squad to tour in the 2018 English summer. Playing alongside the likes of Dan Christian, Scott Boland and D’Arcy Short, the side commemorated the first touring side that travelled to England shores in 1868. Drawing large crowds at some of crickets most hallowed grounds made the experience all the more memorable. His three wickets at Trent Bridge in a 61-run win over Nottinghamshire showcased his ability, while replicating his childhood idol’s 2005 Ashes feats. While realising this dream features heavily in the highlights reel, his dismissal of English T20 star, Luke Wright stands as a milestone moment. Call it family redemption, given the nature of Brendan’s untimely withdrawal from the tour after a forceful drive from the Englishman striking the young quick’s calf. In typical brotherly fashion, the senior Doggett provided the gentle mix of a heartfelt jibe with simple, powerful words of wisdom: “Well…don’t bowl half-volleys!” Even still, the tour was significant for the family and added to the success the brothers have had on the pitch in their limited opportunities. The experience proved to be a valuable learning curve, as the expertise of the experienced campaigners amongst the squad rubbed off on the emerging spearheads. Sam praised the likes of Christian and Boland for their advice at the top of his mark: imploring him to back himself every ball and trust it is the right ball to bowl. “We took a lot away from Dan (Christian) and Scott (Boland). They’ve been around for years and they’re just smart!” Sam revelled. “At the top of our mark we would sound a few things out with them, telling us to back whatever ball we chose to bowl at the top. If you can back yourself, you’re more likely to pull it off.” The tour was representative of the strides made in developing the game for indigenous cricketers. With competitions such as The Imparja Cup and the National Indigenous Championships bringing together the best talent in the country since 2001, the long term development is paying dividends. Having played substantial roles in these initiatives, Sam has seen how the growth of the game’s indigenous community. With players now reaching the plateaus of the game, he has recognised that the immense quality representing these teams speaks to the direction cricket is headed. “If you look at the Big Bash and how many (nationally) contracted indigenous cricketers there are at the moment, it was sort of unheard of five years ago,” Sam said. “Dan’s played for Australia, Scott’s played for Australia, D’Arcy (Short) has played for Australia and Brendan’s in India at the moment. “The Imparja Cup seems to get stronger and stronger, and when the National side was named, I think there were about eight or nine players who had played Futures League cricket or above. “I think that goes a long way to show where indigenous cricket is at the moment.” Sam’s return to the Brisbane Premier competition coincides with former national coach, John Buchanan, taking the reigns at Wests, and the famous mentor could play a key role in capitalising on the As Australia’s most successful national coach, Buchanan has overseen some major cricketing milestones as Australia stormed to a record 16 consecutive Test victories and two World Cups under his tutelage. Despite work and national tour commitments limiting his involvement with the coach, Sam is excited for the opportunity to learn from his experiences. “I’ve played phone tag with him for about two weeks and met him for the first time on Saturday (last weekend),” Sam explained. “I think with John, he’s been around a long time and worked with a lot of different personalities. “For instance, I lacked a bit of rhythm early on the weekend and he picked up on it, with only seeing me bowl about six overs,” he elaborated. “A lot of the situations we will get to throughout the year he would’ve dealt with in one way or another over his time, so his experience will certainly help us.” After a hectic year for the brothers, the plethora of cricketing knowledge and experience they have gained will undoubtedly steel them well for the season ahead. They're a long way from their backyard nets, but as the dreams of emulating Brett Lee continue to prosper, the Doggett duo won’t be slowing down any time soon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWork experience with QLD Cricket enabled me to begin publishing feature content for a range of digital audiences. Archives
August 2018
Categories |