Quick Answer
Will Sutherland is a right-arm pace bowling all-rounder from Victoria who captains both his state side and Melbourne Renegades, the club he has represented since he was a teenager. Born into a well-known cricket family, the son of former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland and older brother of Australian women’s international Annabel Sutherland, he chose cricket over a promising Australian Rules football pathway at 17 and has since built a career defined as much by leadership as by his all-round skill. He captains Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and One Day Cup, leads Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, and has played 2 ODIs for Australia.
The following stats reflect verified totals across his international, First Class, List A, and T20 league careers, including a separate breakdown of his BBL only numbers with the Renegades. This guide covers his rise through Victorian cricket, his path to captaincy at two levels, and every figure from his career so far.
Full Biography at a Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | William James Sutherland |
| Born | 27 October 1999, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Age | 26 |
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Batting Style | Right handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Playing Role | All rounder |
| School | Scotch College, Melbourne |
| Father | James Sutherland, former Cricket Australia CEO |
| Sister | Annabel Sutherland, Australia women’s international |
| ODI Debut | 4 February 2024, vs West Indies |
| Domestic Captain | Victoria (Sheffield Shield and One Day Cup) |
| BBL Team and Role | Melbourne Renegades, Captain |
| Overseas Team | Yorkshire (English county cricket) |
How Did Will Sutherland Choose Cricket Over AFL?
Sutherland grew up in a cricketing household, the son of James Sutherland, who served as Cricket Australia’s chief executive, and older brother of Annabel Sutherland, now a regular for Australia’s women’s team. As a teenager at Scotch College in Melbourne, Sutherland was also a talented junior Australian Rules footballer, and he had to choose between the two sports before committing fully to cricket in July 2017 by signing a multi-year contract with Victoria.
That decision paid off quickly. He was signed by Melbourne Renegades as a teenager ahead of BBL|07, and in December 2017 he was named vice-captain of Australia’s squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, an early sign of the leadership path his career would eventually take. In March 2018, he was awarded the Commonwealth Bank Future Star Award by Cricket Victoria, recognition of just how highly rated he already was at that stage.
How Did Will Sutherland Become Victoria’s Captain?
Sutherland made his First Class debut for Victoria in November 2019 and picked up his maiden five-wicket haul soon after, figures of 5 for 34 against Queensland in February 2020. His bowling only got better from there, and in the 2022 23 Sheffield Shield season he topped Victoria’s wicket-taking charts with 41 scalps, form that earned him the state’s Sheffield Shield and One Day captaincy the following season.
He also won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award in 2021, another marker of his rapid rise through the Victorian pathway, and he has continued to lead the state’s first-class and one-day sides in the years since, building a reputation as one of the more thoughtful young captains in Australian domestic cricket.
How Did Will Sutherland Become Melbourne Renegades Captain?
Sutherland’s rise at Renegades followed a similar trajectory to his state career. After years as a senior figure in the squad, he was named vice-captain for BBL|13, filling in as captain for the club’s final five games of that campaign. Following Nic Maddinson’s departure to Sydney Thunder, the Renegades confirmed Sutherland as their new full-time captain ahead of BBL|14 in November 2024, making him just the fourth men’s player to lead the club in its BBL history.
Speaking at the time, Sutherland said he was excited by the squad around him and looking forward to leaning on experienced teammates like Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa as he grew into the role. He signed a four year contract extension around the same period, tying him to the Renegades until at least the end of BBL|17, a clear statement of the club’s long term faith in him as both a player and a leader.
What Is Will Sutherland’s International Record for Australia?
Sutherland’s national team opportunity arrived in February 2024, when he was picked for a short ODI series against West Indies. He played both matches, taking 2 wickets, though his overall numbers remain a small early sample compared to his extensive domestic body of work.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Wickets | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18 | 18.00 | 2 | 2/28 |
What Do Will Sutherland’s Career Stats Look Like?
Stats reflect verified totals across his international, First Class, List A, and T20 league careers, with his T20 figures including his BBL and English county appearances combined.
Batting and Fielding Statistics
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | High Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 18.00 | 54.55 | 0 / 0 |
| First Class | 58 | 89 | 9 | 1,575 | 101* | 19.69 | 56.09 | 2 / 3 |
| List A | 48 | 37 | 4 | 695 | 66 | 21.06 | 89.56 | 0 / 4 |
| T20 (Inc. BBL) | 85 | 73 | 19 | 958 | 70 | 17.74 | 134.93 | 0 / 3 |
Bowling Statistics
| Format | Balls Bowled | Wickets | Best Bowling | Bowling Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4w / 5w Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 51 | 2 | 2/28 | 16.50 | 3.88 | 25.5 | 0 / 0 |
| First Class | 9,624 | 184 | 6/67 | 24.46 | 2.81 | 52.3 | 8 / 7 |
| List A | 2,240 | 69 | 5/45 | 30.16 | 5.57 | 32.46 | 1 / 1 |
| T20 (Inc. BBL) | 1,293 | 53 | 3/14 | 37.04 | 9.11 | 24.4 | 0 / 0 |
His 184 First Class wickets alongside more than 1,500 First Class runs and two centuries make a strong case for him as one of the most complete all-round bowlers to have come through Victorian cricket in recent years.
What Is Will Sutherland’s BBL Only Record?
Since his combined T20 total above includes his time in English county cricket with Yorkshire, his BBL only numbers with Melbourne Renegades are worth breaking out separately.
Batting
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | Not Outs | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 61 | 750 | 70 | 17.86 | 131.81 | 19 | 35 |
Bowling
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 5 Wicket Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 64 | 43 | 3/14 | 38.21 | 8.86 | 25.88 | 0 |
His 35 BBL sixes from just 61 innings underline his reputation as a genuine power hitter lower in the order, while his bowling has generally played more of a supporting role behind the club’s frontline pace options.
What Records and Honours Does Will Sutherland Hold?
- Captain of both Victoria (Sheffield Shield and One Day Cup) and Melbourne Renegades
- Fourth men’s player to captain Melbourne Renegades in the club’s BBL history
- Vice-captain of Australia’s squad at the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Winner of the Commonwealth Bank Future Star Award in 2018
- Winner of the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award in 2021
- Topped Victoria’s Sheffield Shield wicket-taking charts in 2022 23 with 41 wickets
- Maiden First Class five-wicket haul of 5 for 34 against Queensland in February 2020
- Made his ODI debut for Australia in February 2024 against West Indies
- Signed a four-year contract extension with Melbourne Renegades through to the end of BBL|17
What Is Next for Will Sutherland and the Renegades?
Sutherland’s leadership role at the Renegades now sits alongside one of the bigger structural stories in Australian domestic cricket. In June 2026, it was reported that the brands of Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars would be merged into a new franchise, built around the Stars’ existing BBL license. Details of exactly how that change will affect playing squads, contracts and leadership roles are still developing, but it adds a genuinely open question to what has otherwise been a clear, steady rise for Sutherland as a captain at both state and Big Bash level.
FAQs
Who is Will Sutherland?
Will Sutherland is an Australian all-rounder who captains both Victoria and Melbourne Renegades, known for his powerful lower-order batting and right-arm pace bowling.
What is Will Sutherland’s BBL record?
Across 73 BBL matches for Melbourne Renegades, he has scored 750 runs at a strike rate above 131 and taken 43 wickets at an economy of 8.86.
When did Will Sutherland become Melbourne Renegades captain?
He was appointed full-time captain ahead of BBL|14 in November 2024, after serving as vice-captain the previous season, becoming the fourth men’s player to lead the club.
Who are Will Sutherland’s famous cricket relatives?
His father, James Sutherland, is the former chief executive of Cricket Australia, and his younger sister, Annabel Sutherland, is a current Australia women’s international all-rounder.
Has Will Sutherland played international cricket for Australia?
Yes. He made his ODI debut in February 2024 against the West Indies and has played 2 ODIs so far, taking 2 wickets.
Did Will Sutherland almost play AFL instead of cricket?
Yes. He was a talented junior Australian Rules footballer as a teenager and had to choose between the two sports before signing a multi-year cricket contract with Victoria in 2017.
What does the Renegades and Melbourne Stars merger mean for Will Sutherland?
As of the most recent reports, the two clubs’ BBL brands are set to merge into a new franchise built on the Stars’ license, though exactly how this affects playing and leadership roles, including Sutherland’s captaincy, is still being worked out.
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