Jake Reed

Australian rules football or cricket? A constant choice that Australian teenagers find hard to decide. Jake Reed was no different and eventually chose the latter. Hailing from Mildura, he impressed everyone in a game against a team (club) from Geelong and that played a vital role in him joining the Geelong Cricket Club at the age of 19. In less than a month, Reed made the move from the thirds to the first XI.

Reed, while training, grabbed eyeballs and was soon drafted into the Victorian Sheffield Shield side. He made his first-class debut in February 2014. The right-arm fast bowler played the last three matches of the season, but didn’t produce good yields. Despite taking only three wickets in as many games, he was given a contract for three years - thanks to his pace.

Hobart Hurricanes roped him for the 2014-15 edition of the Big Bash League. In his debut game against Brisbane Heat, he slid just before delivering his first ball and was quick to get on his feet. That video went viral on the social media. His best bowling performance came a couple of matches later in a rain-curtailed game against Sydney Thunder where he finished with figures of 4-0-11-4.

Injuries started to play a negative role in Reed’s career. He underwent four surgeries - shoulder, groin and knee (twice) after signing the rookie contract. He was out of action for almost a year. He did stage a comeback in 2016, but the shoulder injury returned to haunt him. Reed had to undergo shoulder reconstruction after he injured while throwing in a Sheffield Shield clash against NSW.

Having recovered from the injuries, Reed will now hope for an injury-free career.