Fergus O'Neill

Fergus O'Neill
O'Neill in October 2025
Personal information
Full name
Fergus Patrick O'Neill
Born (2001-01-27) 27 January 2001
Tauranga, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleBowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2021/22–presentVictoria (squad no. 17)
2023/24–2025/26Melbourne Renegades (squad no. 9)
2025–presentNottinghamshire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20
Matches 43 17 12
Runs scored 1318 113 60
Batting average 23.12 16.14 10.00
100s/50s 0/3 0/0 0/0
Top score 70* 25* 16*
Balls bowled 8150 852 231
Wickets 169 26 10
Bowling average 20.11 26.69 30.30
5 wickets in innings 8 0 0
10 wickets in match 1 0 0
Best bowling 5/19 4/22 3/16
Catches/stumpings 14/– 4/– 3/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 07 March 2026

Fergus Patrick O'Neill (born 27 January 2001) is an Australian cricketer who plays domestic cricket for Victoria. He made his List A debut for Victoria against Western Australia in the 2021–22 Marsh One-Day Cup, and his first-class debut in the 2022–23 Sheffield Shield against South Australia.[1] In the 2023–24 Big Bash League season he was signed by the Melbourne Renegades.[2]

Early life

Born in Tauranga, New Zealand, O'Neill was raised in Victoria.[3]

Career

In 2014, O'Neill and his father Peter O'Neill both scored centuries in the same North West Metro Cricket Association match for the Flemington Colts. Peter retired not out on 106, while Fergus was eventually caught for 104.[4] Fergus attended Maribyrnong College, a sports secondary school in Melbourne.[4]

A bowling all-rounder, O'Neill plays for Melbourne in Victorian Premier Cricket. In 2019 he took a hat-trick against Monash, finishing with career-best figures of 6/25.[5] In the 2021–22 season he received the Paul Sheahan Club Champion Award for his all-round performance, averaging 19.31 with the ball and 42.33 with the bat that year.[6]

O'Neill's performances in Premier cricket earned him a List A debut for Victoria later that season, as well as a first-class appearance for Victoria the following season in which he took four wickets on debut, including the wickets of Australian Test players Alex Carey, and Travis Head (twice).[7] In Victoria's victory over South Australia in the 2023–24 Sheffield Shield, he took five wickets in each innings.[8]

O'Neill was named 2024–25 Sheffield Shield player of the season after taking 38 wickets at an average of 21.07.[9]

He signed for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to play in the opening four rounds of the 2025 County Championship.[10][11] O'Neill took 5/81 in the first innings of his debut match against Durham.[12] In his third outing for Nottinghamshire, he claimed new First Class career-best figures of 5/19 in the first innings against Warwickshire.[13] At the end of his stint, he was the leading wicket taker in the Championship with 21 wickets at an average of 17.9.[14]

In November 2025, O'Neill agreed a contract with Nottinghamshire which will see him play County Championship matches for the club from April to June in both 2026 and 2027.[15][16]

With O'Neill's contracts with Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades expiring at the end of the 2025-26 season, it was widely reported that he had received and was considering offers from New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers.[17] O'Neill accepted the move to the Sixers for the Big Bash, signing a two year deal,[18] however chose to remain with Victoria on a three-year contract.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Fergus O'Neill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  2. ^ "O'Neill snaps up final list spot". Melbourne Renegades. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  3. ^ "NCCC News: Fergus O'Neill: From landscape gardening to the Green and Golds". Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b Michell, Tim. "Flemington Colts father-son combination Peter and Fergus O'Neill reach centuries in the same NWMCA match". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  5. ^ Amy, Paul. "Premier Cricket: Melbourne swing bowler Fergus O'Neill flattens Monash with hat-trick". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  6. ^ "Vine and O'Neill crowned Club Champions at MCC Cricket's night of nights". Melbourne Cricket Club. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  7. ^ Hatzoglou, Max. "How three teammates lifted Shield debutant from 'all over the shop' first spell to four-fa". Herald Sun. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  8. ^ "16th Match, Adelaide, November 28-December 01, 2023, Sheffield Shield". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  9. ^ "O'Neill crowned Shield's best, tipped for bigger opportunities". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  10. ^ "O'Neill Joins Notts For Opening Championship Rounds". Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Notts sign Australian fast-bowling all-rounder O'Neill". BBC Sport. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Notts batters build solid platform against Durham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Hutton and O'Neill help Notts dominate Warwickshire". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Nottinghamshire laud 'outstanding' O'Neill as productive stint ends". ESPNcricinfo. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Australian seamer O'Neill set for Notts stints". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  16. ^ "O'NEILL SIGNS UP FOR TWO MORE SEASONS AT TRENT BRIDGE". Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Victoria addresses report of rival interest in star seamer Fergus O'Neill". The Australian. 4 February 2026.
  18. ^ "Fergus O'Neill signs two-year deal with the Sixers". Sydney Sixers. 5 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Fergy's Going Nowhere". Cench Cricket. 16 February 2026 – via Instagram.
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