Now, after taking more than 200 wickets in the Canberra first-grade competition and representing the Prime Minister's XI, the 31-year-old gets his chance on the national stage.

Oakley and Comets captain Jono Dean have been picked in a 13-man Adelaide Strikers squad for their opening Big Bash League game on Sunday against the Hobart Hurricanes.

At an age when most fast bowlers are winding down their careers, Oakley's is on the rise.

He was on the verge of joining the Strikers a couple of years back, but suffered a side strain injury which ruled him out of the tournament.

Oakley showed plenty of promise in the junior ranks in Wagga Wagga and had an invitation from Lawson to play grade cricket in Sydney when he was 21.

''At the time I didn't have the idea that I was good enough and didn't make the move,'' Oakley said.

''I've played country cricket to this point and got my opportunities with the Comets in the Futures League and the Prime Minister's XI when I moved to Canberra.

''Everything has snowballed from there.''

The left-armer has been one of the quickest and most successful bowlers in the Canberra club competition for the past several seasons.

He captained Wests/UC to the two-day title last summer and played for the PM's XI in 2010 against the West Indies.

Oakley sealed his spot at the Strikers after impressing coach Darren Berry at a training session in Sydney in September.

Getting the nod of approval ended two years of agony when Oakley thought his chance had passed him by.

He was all set to put pen to paper with the franchise before breaking down in a club match.

''I've had to ring them up and tell them I've done the injury and can't join the squad,'' Oakley said.

''It was heartbreaking.

''When you hit 30 as a fast bowler I had put any thought that it might happen on the back burner.

''If an opportunity arose all well and good, but I wasn't going to lose any sleep if it didn't.

''Fortunately for me it has.''

Oakley has taken leave from his IT job in the public service to live in Adelaide for the six-week duration of the tournament, but is still checking his work emails.

He is part of a quality fast-bowling attack featuring Twenty20 specialist Shaun Tait and rising star Kane Richardson.

Oakley grabbed 3-28 in a practice match earlier in the week in what was his first time on Adelaide Oval, a far cry from his usual home ground at Jamison.

''It's sort of hard to believe they were playing Test cricket a couple weeks prior to me getting here, but it's really good times to be able to play on it,'' Oakley said.

''It's a bit different with the old scoreboard on the end and the atmosphere on the oval.

''They're all good blokes and they've made me feel welcome straight away.''