UTS North Sydney interviews Anna Buckle

Anna Buckle is a right-arm seam bowler who plays for Sussex in Tier 2 of the new English county system. She started out playing with the boys from the age of 8, before joining the Sussex pathway at the age of 14. She recently finished a degree in International Relations at Leeds, where she also played cricket, of course, and her star performance of the season so far has been 5/27 for Sussex against Worcestershire in May. We asked some questions to get to know her a little better before she touches down in Sydney.

Q1: Describe the moment you first fell in love with Cricket and what drew you to it?

Anna: My dad has played all his life up until recently, and used to drag me and my brother to the local cricket club as soon as we could walk. My brother got involved sooner as he is older, and I couldn’t handle being left out, so I joined in with the boys and instantly loved it!

Q2: What is your best cricket memory? 

Anna: My best memories in cricket are from the Sussex age groups at around 16 years old, where I met some of my best friends, and were the years that I really solidified my love for cricket. We made it to the national finals two years in a row, and those trips were both so memorable.

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Q3: How do you balance your Cricket with your personal life and responsibilities? 

Anna: I’ve just finished 4 years at uni, where I found it a challenge balancing training 4 times a week with my assignments. Now that I'm finished it is slightly easier to make time for friends, but I definitely have to sacrifice holidays or events over the summer. I’m not sure if I’ve found the key to a good balance yet, so maybe ask me at the end of the season!

Q4: What has been the most challenging obstacle you have faced in your sporting career so far and how did you overcome it?

Anna: At the beginning of the 2024 season, I had a knee injury that needed 6 weeks of recovery. It was the first time I’d had an injury that put me out of the game, and it was a tedious 6 weeks of rehab. I tried to see the positives in it like being able to see my friends and building resilience, which helped to make the time more productive.

Q5: Is there one moment from last season that you consider your most memorable highlight? 

Anna: I took my second 5fer for Sussex Women against Worcestershire in the One Day Cup. It was a game that we were on track to lose, and the team spirit afterwards was through the roof, so to feel like I contributed to that was an amazing feeling.

Q6: What is one thing that we will find in your game-day lunch box?

Anna: I’ll always have a banana in my rucksack in case I need a boost of energy at any point!

Q7: Have there been any life lessons or values that you’ve learnt from Cricket that you apply to everyday life?

Anna: Cricket is definitely frustrating at times, but I think most people playing competitive sports are too hard on themselves. It’s definitely one I’m still working on, but I think going easy on yourself on the pitch and in life is really important.

Clip from the Captains Circle on BeaconPoint Cricket with Paul Ryan - setting the field for left arm swing bowlers