Cameron Ponsonby gives the low down on Jack Wildermuth, the Australian all-rounder who has enjoyed a stellar few weeks.

Who is Jack Wildermuth?

Jack Wildermuth is a 27-year-old right handed, seam-bowling all-rounder, who plays for Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat.

To date, he has three hundreds against his name and has taken 109 wickets at an average of 29.13. He has a best of 3-16 in T20s and has only batted in half of his 40 fixtures, striking at a rate of 124.

How did Jack Wildermuth start?

Born in Toowoomba, Wildermuth started at the Valley District Cricket Club in Queensland where he progressed through the ranks. At 14 years old he achieved the rare feat of taking five wickets in five consecutive balls.

Wildermuth represented Queensland at age-group level and also played for Australia U19s. At the end of the 2013/14 season, he scored a century on his Futures League debut (Australia’s second tier competition) which earned him a rookie contract with Queensland for the following season.

In 2014 he spent a summer in the UK where he played for Great Harwood CC in Lancashire, averaging 34 with the bat and 18 with the ball.

Upon returning to Queensland he worked in a coffee shop that was located at Allan Border Field and would regularly be found serving drinks to his future teammates. It was whilst he was on shift that he found out he would be making his debut in the penultimate round of the 2014/15 Sheffield Shield against Western Australia.

What happened next?

2015/16 was Wildermuth’s breakthrough year. Playing eight Shield matches he scored his maiden fist-class century and also earned a Player of the match award for taking seven wickets against Victoria. However, it was his performances in T20 cricket for Brisbane Heat and then the Melbourne Renegades that would see him earn international recognition in 2018, where he appeared in two T20Is during a tour of Zimbabwe.

Most recently, Wildermuth gained attention for his all-round display for Australia A against India. First, claiming 3-13 with the ball, before scoring an unbeaten run-a-ball century with the bat. Wildermuth then returned to Big Bash duty where he registered a career best 31 off 11 before taking 3-23 from his four overs.

Challenges for Jack Wildermuth?

While Wildermuth isn’t considered a million miles off the senior set-up. Australia are not exactly starved for hard hitting, seam-bowling all-rounders with the likes of Marcus Stoinis, Moises Henriques and Cameron Green on their books. In particular, the emergence of Green as a potential player for the ages is poor timing for Wildermuth, who was arguably just coming of age himself.

Final word?

“I’ve loved being around those guys and hope I can emulate their style of finishing games and being in control of the death bowling” – Wildermuth speaking on his return to Brisbane Heat having spent two seasons at the Melbourne Renegades with Dwayne Bravo and Mohammad Nabi.