Talented WA young gun Bryce Jackson itching for Southern Smash after comeback from horror run with injury

Albany-raised paceman and WA cricket talent Bryce Jackson overcame nerves and pressure in his long-awaited return to bowling after being plagued by back injuries for almost two years. The 24-year-old is a WACA-contracted player but has not bowled in a competitive match since February 2022 as he battled consistent stress fractures in his troublesome back. Jackson, also a Perth Scorchers academy player, was part involved in an intraclub on the eve of this season’s Big Bash League, bowling for the first time after his lengthy absence. He has played two second-grade games and a Premier T20 match for Melville this season but had not yet bowled in an official match before Saturday, where he steamed in for six overs on his way to two wickets in their four-wicket loss to Midland-Guildford. The WA quick did, however, leak 55 runs in his first spell back. “I felt nervous for the game on the weekend because it felt like my first real game,” Jackson said. “It was the first proper game that my family and my partner could watch and a lot of people were waiting for this moment. “So there was a little bit of pressure going into it but once I had the ball in my hand I didn’t feel too nervous. “I knew that if I just followed my processes, I’d be fine even though it didn’t turn out the best.” The last time Jackson bowled was in the 2022-23 season for Melville in their elimination final loss against South Perth. That season Jackson was on a WA rookie contract but after taking 33 wickets in 18 matches, the young star earned himself a full contract with WA men’s squad ahead of the 2022-23 domestic cricket season. “Pre-season last year I had my surgery on a stress fracture on my L5 so I was dealing with that for a little bit,” he said. “Then the problem was that it didn’t heal which carried on into this pre-season. “And then towards the start of this season, I had cracking on the right side which was halting things. “Then miraculously it felt fine and I could progress into bowling some overs.” Jackson is limited to a maximum of eight overs per game while he builds fitness. The Collingwood Park product will also add to his bowling load when he returns to Albany for the Southern Smash next week, pulling on the colours for the Elders Avengers for the first time since 2021. He was not originally drafted to play in the T20 tournament but after making good progress with his injuries and a late withdrawal from the Avengers, Jackson was selected as a replacement player. “I usually come back home for Christmas so it now provides the perfect opportunity for me to use this as a launching platform for myself while also getting some game time under my belt,” he said. “It’s a lot bigger now with bigger names coming down so everyone’s starting to hear about it now and really use it as a platform to develop their game.”