mmg.com.au

Cunning Carlton quick Ryan Sidebottom wasted little time stepping up to the next level with a scintillating Futures League debut for Victoria this week.

The Tallygaroopna-raised cricketer finished with match-best figures of 6-76 from two innings to help lead the Victorian second XI to a seven-wicket win against Western Australia.

Former Kialla all-rounder Alex Keath, 21, captained the side and hit the winning runs to cap a great match for Cricket Shepparton.

In the first innings, Sidebottom took the ball first change and picked up two crucial early breakthroughs on his way to 3-44 from 13.1 overs.

Sidebottom, 23, was handed the new ball in the second dig and struck in his first over, before snaring the final wicket to finish with 3-32.

Among his scalps was Tom Triffitt, who has made 15 Sheffield Shield appearances for Western Australia and Tasmania.

After the match, Sidebottom said he was just pleased to be a part of the side and play his role.

‘‘It was a bit of a relief, just to know I can compete at that level and to get the early (wicket) was probably good to give me a bit more confidence to go on and get another couple,’’ Sidebottom said.

‘‘It helped having Alex there, who had full confidence in me to take the new ball as well.

‘‘He came up to me just after we lost our last wicket (in the first innings) and said ‘if I get my way, then you’ll take the second over and we’ll work from there’.

‘‘It eventuated that I took it and got a wicket with my second ball, so I sort of repaid the favour a little bit.’’

Sidebottom was one of four debutants and he said that made fitting into the side much easier.

The performance could be just the beginning for Sidebottom, who has already been offered a place in the team for next week’s three-day match against the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy.

However, his involvement in that match depends on how well he pulls up from this weekend’s Victorian Premier Cricket match for Carlton, after experiencing some soreness in his foot.

Sidebottom is likely to meet with Cricket Victoria high performance manager Tim McCaskill sometime in the next week anyway to get some feedback on his performance.

‘‘We did a little bit of a review after the game, but nothing too deep,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ll go and speak with Tim McCaskill and a few of the other guys and get a bit of footage from the game and have a chat with the coaches.’’

Keath, who has been in the Victorian Bushrangers’ system since 2010, made 51 not out in the second innings, to go with 29 and in the first innings and bowling figures of 2-13 and 0-29.

He has made six appearances for Victoria this season and will hope to add to that tally before the end of the season.