Perth Scorchers all-rounder Cooper Connolly heads into Tuesday’s Qualifier against the Sydney Sixers with a curious record: he is among the sharpest new-ball bowlers in this season’s Big Bash League, yet cannot buy a score with the bat.
The 20-year-old left-hander, a late-order hero in last year’s final and now in Australia’s provisional T20 World Cup squad, has collected 13 wickets at 15.38. Five of those have arrived in the very first over, his skiddy left-arm spin conceding just 6.66 an over – the best economy of anyone inside the competition’s top ten wicket-takers.
On Saturday he prised out Tom Rogers and Joe Clarke during a six-wicket victory over Melbourne Stars, underlining his value with the new ball. The problem – if the Scorchers can call it that while finishing top of the ladder – is what has happened when Connolly has picked up the bat.
Back-to-back scores of 59 and 77 at the start of the campaign hinted at another prolific year after last season’s 351 runs at 50.14. Since then: 61 runs in eight trips, an average now sitting at 19.70, and a string of 2, 18, 0, 3, 0 and 4 over the past fortnight.
Fast bowler Jhye Richardson insists the dressing-room faith is unshaken. “I think he just needs to trust himself. The runs will come,” Richardson said. “He’s too good not to get a couple of scores. He just needs to be confident and back himself. And I think Coops just needs to remember that he’s still influencing the game for us. I know he’s not getting the runs that he would like, but he’s still having a really big impact [with the ball].”
Connolly takes a similar view. “Three weeks ago I was hitting them nicely and I still feel like I’m hitting the ball nicely,” he said. “It’s just a game of T20 cricket – sometimes you get out and have a few low scores. I’m looking forward to Tuesday and hopefully putting on a show.”
Finn Allen, Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Hardie and Ashton Turner have absorbed most of the batting load, with Josh Inglis and Laurie Evans adding depth. It explains why head coach Adam Voges has not tinkered. One member of his back-room staff summed it up bluntly this week: “If our biggest worry is Coops making a duck, we’re travelling OK.”
The Qualifier winner advances straight to Sunday’s grand final; the loser hosts Friday’s Challenger against either Hobart Hurricanes or Melbourne Stars. The Sixers, boosted by Steven Smith’s 54, 100 and 19 not out since his Ashes duties, and Mitchell Starc’s 4 for 35 at the Gabba, scraped into second place after beating Brisbane Heat.
Perth’s forecast is a roasting 39°C at the 4.30 pm start. Spin may yet be decisive, which would keep Connolly front and centre – bat form or no bat form.
