Mitchell Perry’s planned early-season stay at Emirates Old Trafford is off after scans confirmed the fast bowler has suffered a recurrence of a lumbar stress fracture.
The 26-year-old, who impressed for Australia A and claimed 33 Sheffield Shield wickets at 22.48 this summer, underwent a routine MRI the morning after the Shield final. The images showed the same back issue that sidelined him 18 months ago, and Victoria’s medical staff have advised immediate rest and a structured rehabilitation block. Perry will therefore remain in Melbourne rather than fly to the UK for Lancashire’s first tranche of County Championship fixtures.
The timing is awkward. Lancashire open their Division One campaign against Northamptonshire on Friday and had pencilled Perry in as a new-ball option on pitches that can nibble in April. They are also without Marcus Harris, whose involvement in the five-day Shield final means he will not arrive in Manchester until next week and is only likely to debut against Derbyshire.
Director of cricket performance Mark Chilton acknowledged the short-term hole in the squad.
“We are naturally disappointed that Mitch will be unable to join us this season, particularly at such short notice ahead of the campaign,” Chilton said. “However, we wish him a full and speedy recovery.
“We are currently assessing our options with regard to potential replacement players and their availability.”
Lancashire have spent the past week in warm-weather training at Desert Springs in Spain and returned talking up the mood under new head coach Steven Croft. Chilton added:
“Despite this setback, having recently returned from Desert Springs, where the men’s squad completed an excellent week-long training camp, I have been extremely encouraged by what we have seen over the course of the week. The attitude has been first-class, morale is high, and the two-day inter-squad game was highly competitive. The squad is hungry, motivated, and ready to get the season underway.
“We are excited for the new campaign and determined to build on the progress made during the second half of last year, with Steven Croft leading as head coach and James Anderson as County Championship captain.”
From a Lancashire perspective the immediate question is whether to draft another overseas seamer or lean on home-grown depth. George Balderson, Tom Bailey and Will Williams all bowled tidily in Spain, while Anderson is fresh after a light winter. Yet the county had identified Perry’s skiddy pace and ability to hit the seam as a point of difference, especially if April brings slowish surfaces.
For Perry, the setback is frustrating but not career-defining. Cricket Australia take no risks with young quicks, and he is expected to start a gradual running programme by June if scans are clear. A late-season return for Victoria, or even the second Australia A tour in September, remains possible, though those plans sit firmly in the hands of the physios for now.
Harris, meanwhile, should be in the top order by round two, giving Lancashire some overseas presence until a bowling replacement is finalised.
