Or so has been the traditional regression.

Kish Nadesan has reversed that and he's 27, which is old to be relaunching a first-grade career.

Nadesan's is one of the more remarkable stories of the 2009/2010 season.

Girraween High School, Wenty Leagues junior, Parramatta Green Shield-winning team member; off to join mates at Western Suburbs, where he was a first-grade opening bowler. Then off to build a business and a step down to shires cricket.

``I couldn't show the commitment and it wasn't right to keep playing,'' Nadesan said.

``I'm a physiotherapist and had left the public hospital system and opened a private clinic.''

Now he operates a string of clinics all over Sydney.

Blacktown cricket club secretary Dennis Douglas jokes Nadesan is the only cricketer who drives to training in a Porsche.

While Nadesan was driving his business forward, he also played shires cricket, following a few Wests mates to Pennant Hills.

Last season he topped all the statistics, taking 73 wickets.

``My role is more managerial now,'' he said of his physio empire.

``I went Europe in the off-season and thought `I'll give it one more shot and see if I've still got it in me','' he said of lobbing at the Warriors.

Blacktown gave him a shot but he didn't fire too many bullets at the start.

Nadesan took just three wickets in his first five first-grade games but captain Paul Maraziotis showed faith.

Now Nadesan has 34 wickets at 16.56 and has rocketed up the stats with a bullet and sits 11th in the first-grade averages.

He's been firing out top-order batsmen every match with his pace and swing.

``My aim is to get in the top five,'' he said.

``You get a lot more movement and the wickets are a lot more bowler-friendly in shires.

``In first-grade there are better batsmen and the wickets are flatter.

``You've really got to put in, work a lot harder and be patient. I'm found a bit of rhythm.''

He's also found a home.

``I'm enjoying it,'' he said. ``Blacktown is a great club with plenty of talent and potential and is in a growth stage.

``In three to five years it should come to fruition.''

The district already has a hero emerge from shires: Douggie, the boisterous, belligerent, bubbly Bollinger from Seven Hills.