When Perth Scorchers captain Ashton Turner was run-out during their chase in the BBL 12 final, most of the 53,886 people at Optus Stadium believed the match was finished and the Heat would prevail.
It was then up to Nick Hobson, a grade cricket gun from Claremont-Nedlands and 19-year-old Cooper Connolly in his fourth match to win the title.
The weight of the world would have been on Nick Hobson’s shoulders running his skipper out, and the pressure on Cooper Connolly would have been immense.
He was experiencing the unique situation of himself playing in front of over 50,000 people contrasting to a likely 30 people at a grade cricket game. The 39 runs off 19 balls were made to look easy with the pair finishing the game in style with four balls remaining.
Nick Hobson finished with 18 off 7 deliveries and Cooper Connolly finished with 25 off 11 deliveries, with the Scorchers winning their fifth title in their history and consecutive titles in a row.
How is WA cricket so successful?
Perth Scorchers bowler Jason Behrendorff said, post-match “The culture around the group, we have got similar guys year in and year out, so the consistency is amazing and we love playing for each other.”
All this was done without arguably their best two players in Mitch Marsh out for the entire tournament and Jhye Richardson unavailable for large parts of the tournament.
It is not just the Big Bash that WA cricket is dominating in, but all three formats, with the state winning back-to-back in the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup comfortably. The dynasty of WA cricket does not seem like being lost anytime soon as well.
WA men’s head coach Adam Voges said, “It’s pleasing to keep the squad together”.
“They’re a tight-knit group who push each other to improve, and the results of the last two seasons are a testament to that fact.
“We’re as committed as ever to achieving sustained success, and stability within the squad plays an important role,” he said.
Indeed, this group of players have an extremely strong character that remains infectious around the whole playing group. Led by Administration, and former coach Justin Langer passing his wisdom onto Adam Voges, WA seems to have what all other states are looking for.
Even when WA cricket was forced into Covid hubs throughout the 2021-22 season for all formats, they were able to have sustained success.
The Perth Scorchers played the lone home game during that season racking up an endless amount of frequent flyer points to still come out victors against the Sixers. The siege mentality of the team acquired was on display.
The plethora of elite talent WA have produced over the years has been outstanding, and doesn’t look like ending, with the likes of Aaron Hardie, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly, Teague Wyllie and ‘the wild thing’ Lance Morris at the helm.
These players have only just scraped the surface. Aaron Hardie was the leading run scorer for BBL 12, with 460 runs, a strike rate of 141.10 averaging 41.82. Lance Morris is making his case for being the next test match superstar whilst, Cameron Green continues his rise as one of the best cricket players on the planet.
Cameron Bancroft was one of the stories of last summer, who started on the bench for Scorchers and ended up with 357 runs for the tournament averaging 51 runs at a strike rate of 140. His shield season was even better, hammering 767 runs with an average of 63.91.
The 30-year-old has reinvented himself as an all-format player putting himself back into the minds of the Australian selectors.
Western Australia’s dynasty would not be able to exist without shrewd list-management decisions. They have had the ability to keep an elite core of players without losing too many. The importance of this has been understated, with many players taking smaller contracts to stay.
Of course, they had to lose some players along the way, but the state made the right choices, such as choosing to lose an aging Shaun Marsh to the Renegades and Nathan Coulter-Nile to the Stars. These types of decisions have allowed them to keep their young talent.
Leadership is another factor in their success, and WACA CEO Christina Matthews has been highly regarded for a long time in the way she has operated WA Cricket for over a decade now.
Former Head Coach of WA Cricket Justin Langer said, ”One thing l recognise in any organisation, or any team, is that leadership is critical, and her leadership is outstanding.”
“She’s very strong, she understands cricket, and she’s got cricket as the number one priority here at the WACA.”
Can they continue the dynasty?
Every single other state is trying to figure out how they can stop the almighty force of Western Australian cricket. WA seems like they are two steps ahead of the rest of the competition and will begin as favourites in all formats again.
Liam Cole
Roar Rookie
Good question, l think culture is the most important to any sporting team, but at the same time you need the cattle as well. Culture over talent any day though that wins you titles.
Liam Cole
Roar Rookie
Once Warner, Khawaja, Smith and starc eventually retire from test cricket it will be jhye richardson, Morris, Wyllie and Hardie to lead to Australia’s next wave you would think though.
Horo
Roar Rookie
What comes first culture or talent?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Should have been a 50 to Curnow. Ran straight through the mark.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
"WA finished fourth" With less than half the points of the teams at the top, in a comp of 6. But again, those are just raw stats. I assume you are not aware as to what the issues were that had crept in to WA cricket prior to Langer's appointment. Try search the WA Champions League participation in South Africa (which was where the simmering and escalating issues in WA cricket eventually manifested themselves in a public sense) and - if the analysis of the state of WA senior cricket has been recorded for prosperity - it will give you a sense of how bad things had become. The WA senior coach (Lachie Stevens) and the WA captain (Marcus North) were both forced into resignations just weeks into the domestic season, so bad had things become. WA senior cricket was on a death spiral. I can't argue a position against someone who wasn't around at the time and lived that period in time as close follower of the game.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
In the three years before Langer took over WA finished fourth. They were not world beaters but the “lowest of depths” is a little harsh. In Langer’s last three years they finished fifth, third, and fourth. The implication that WA would have won the Shield under Langer had he stayed longer is a little bit fanciful. I get that culture is intangible but material results are what matter. Ok, he made a couple of finals but literally every team in the Shield made a final while he was coaching WA. Making a final in competition that has six teams is not that special.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Well argued. That's a clear demonstration of the difference between cricket fans and cricket stats fans.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Langer's and Matthews' principle to sticking with backing WA-talent has absolutely been at the forefront of building a decade-long pathway to the success WA is now having. They had a plan and had the conviction to stick to it. And it worked.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
It frustrates me no end when comments are made a decade-plus on, re using stats metrics as the measure. Anyone even half-close to WA cricket over the journey knows exactly the doldrums WA senior cricket was in and the impact Langer (and Matthews) had. We watched it, and discussed it, in real-time. On local blogs, at WACA round-tables, from the Members' bar in conversation with those who were at the coal-front.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
You're applying a "statistical/scoresheet" analysis to Langer's impact. He wasn't around for the Shield wins that he set up: why? Because his considerable influence on WA had already be acknowledged at the national level (by those with the nous to see what was happening) and hence he was snapped up by CA. To suggest he had anything other than an incredible impact on WA cricket re turning it around from the lowest of depths, indicates an absence of actually watching from close quarters what was going on during that time in WA State cricket. Forget the "averages", the "stats", the "win/loss ratio" as measures of retrospective assessment in the absence of real-time impacts and influence. Sorry, but to suggest Langer's impacts on WA as "middling" is just so naive ("He never won the Shield" - perhaps have a look at where WA was in the Shield prior to his appointment, then the top 3/Shield finals appearancs WA made almost immediately after his appointment). I'd suggest do some research as to where WA senior cricket was prior to his appointment (those that are close to WA cricket know exactly what the issues where and how Langer addressed them), what he actually did close-quarters re instituting change (sadly, you won't actually find these "news" article "day-by-day" blows as to steps taken, so if you are a google-adherent as your source of knowledge, your knowledge will be sadly lacking re what actually happened). Sorry (again) but your line of reasoning is just so far removed from that of every other person that has actually followed WA cricket, day-to-day, for the last few decades.
DTM
Roar Rookie
I'm off to watch our boys trounce the Pies on Saturday! Expecting 90% of Victoria to be cheering for us (for the first time ever).
DTM
Roar Rookie
As a proud West Australian cricket fan, I would like to think that we dominate cricket in Australia. But we don't. Yes, the WA teams have won back to back titles in all 3 formats so it could be fair to say that, for the last 2 seasons we have dominated. This season will throw up fresh challenges and everyone starts at square one. We could finish last in all three formats in 2023/24 - there are only 6 or 8 teams in each comp and therefore not a big gap between first and last. WA is going through a golden age and the administration and coaching staff are doing an excellent job (and are a significant part of the success). Other teams will be plotting WA's downfall and no team stays on top for a long time. The SS is high level competitive cricket which remains a good feeder for the Australian test team (it's just a shame the Australian selectors don't appreciate that).
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That’s the point! It’sCricket Season already alluded to these players being unavailable for other states, suggesting WA was only successful because they had a full squad. Guess what? They didn’t. Read the whole thread and you’ll understand better.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I can imagine that's difficult...for you. Stats are your source, not the nature of the game or the abstract concept of culture. The article identifies it very well.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Kind of like when Victoria plays without Maxwell, Maddinson, Boland, Murphy, and Handscomb, or NSW without Smith, Warner, Lyon, Cummins, Hazelwood, and Starc, or Queensland without Neser, Labuschagne, Kunemann, Renshaw and Khawaja.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
He never won the Shield, and WA only won it four years after he left. For me it is very difficult to ascribe WA’s recent Shield success to Langer.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
He turned the whole culture around, as he did with the Aussie side. How come you don't know that?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
And Haskett and Greer...giant left arm quicks (Greer can bat too). The best of them all will be young Midland-Guildford batsman, Hayden Collins, who is posting Damien Martyn-like numbers.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Langer is obviously a great T20 coach, but did he have anything to do with WA's Shield success? His record in the Shield was middling.
Polly
Roar Rookie
Hi Don…you can add Wasley and Goodwin to that list of young players who will emerge. There is certainly some strong youth coming through.