On Monday, July 15th, All-rounder batter, Cooper Connolly, was selected in a revised Australian T20I squad planned to play in opposition to Scotland and England in September. Mitchell Marsh will lead the team, whereas some players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Glenn Maxwell will be taking time off.
Connolly has contributed 226 runs in 15 T20 matches for the Perth Scorchers, preserving an average of 28.25 and a strike rate of about 146. Furthermore, he has grabbed six wickets with an economy rate of 7
Our white-ball squad to tour the United Kingdom in September is here 🔥
See you soon, @englandcricket and @CricketScotland 👋 pic.twitter.com/TrqTpuoU65
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) July 15, 2024
Despite his relative lack of experience, Connolly is being regarded as a prospective left-arm spin all-rounder for Australia in various formats. Here’s what George Bailey, the chief selector, commented about Connolly in the press release:
“He hasn’t played a great many games of cricket yet, but we really like his versatility. His work through the middle order for the Scorchers has been really impressive. Handy left-arm spin as well, which is something we’re really keen to keep exploring and see where that goes with his cricket.”
Here are 5 facts about Cooper Connolly, from his life to his career so far:
#5 He learned cricket from his father and coach, Shane Connolly
Cooper’s father, Shane Connolly, is a former assistant coach for the Scarborough team in the Western Australian Premier Cricket League. Notably, he received the Cricketer of the Year award for 2004-05 from the West Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association. Consequently, Cooper has been learning the game from him since he was a child.
#4 He captained the Australian team in the 2022 U19 World Cup
Cooper Connolly has played for Australia in two U19 World Cups. In 2020, he contributed 72 runs within two innings, impressing selectors with an outstanding innings of 64 runs in 53 balls against the West Indies
In the 2022 U19 World Cup, he captained the Australian team to a third-place finish, contributing 73 runs and taking five wickets in six matches. His best batting performance was 33 runs off 25 balls against Pakistan, and he achieved figures of 3/17 against the Caribbean team.
#3 Cooper Connolly and his father have played alongside Andrew Tye as teammates
Reports indicate that Cooper Connolly’s father, Shane, played domestic cricket for Scarborough alongside Andrew Tye, who is Western Australia’s all-time leading wicket-taker.
Notably, Cooper, a spin-bowling all-rounder, also played for Scarborough with Tye. Before his T20 debut for the Perth Scorchers in January 2023, Cooper received his cap from Tye, which made him quite emotional.
#2 He delivered a match-winning performance for the Perth Scorchers in the BBL 2022/23 final
The BBL 2022/23 final saw the Perth Scorchers face off against the Brisbane Heat in Perth. Batting first, the Heat set a solid total of 175, with Nathan McSweeney scoring the highest at 41.
In reply, the Scorchers started slowly, but captain Ashton Turner (53) strengthened their position. Cooper Connolly came to the crease with the team needing 39 runs off 19 balls.
On just his second ball, the left-hander hit a six over long-on and followed it with a four toward deep mid-wicket on his fourth ball. A standout moment was his six against James Bazley, which highlighted his innings.
The young player scored 25 runs off 11 balls, forming an unbroken 41-run partnership with Nick Hobson (18*) to help the Scorchers defend their title.
#1 He made 90 runs in his first-class debut
Cooper Connolly made his first-class debut for Western Australia against Tasmania in Perth in March 2024. He scored 90 runs off 115 balls, hitting 12 fours and three sixes, helping the team reach a total of 347. In the second innings, he added 18 runs off 30 balls, contributing to the team’s impressive 377-run victory.
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