From Norfolk club player to Aussie Test hopeful

Jake Weatherald reaches a Sheffield Shield century for Tasmania

If Jake Weatherald makes Australia's XI for the first Ashes Test in Perth, one or two England players might be scratching their heads and thinking "where has this guy come from?"

The answer to that question is not straightforward.

Uncapped Weatherald - named in an initial 15-man squad - was born in Darwin, has played for South Australia and Tasmania but his cricketing journey has also taken him round the world to England for summers of club cricket.

Following a productive season with Barnsley Woolley Miners CC in 2022, he pitched up in Norfolk two years later as overseas professional for Great Witchingham, a village with a population of just a few hundred which was once home to the late turkey company boss Bernard Matthews.

There is, though, an England connection as former Test spin bowler Monty Panesar - an Ashes winner in 2009 and 2010-11 - was among his club-mates.

"We're all behind you Weathers," the club posted on X following news of his selection.

'His defence was rock solid'

In his first innings for the club, Weatherald made 27 in a low-scoring five-wicket defeat by Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC, but showed what he was capable of against Frinton two months later, when he hammered 142 off just 82 balls.

"I haven't played pro level cricket, I've played a good standard of club cricket and, for me, Jake had the best technique I've ever seen in terms of how compact he was," captain James Hale told BBC Sport.

"Jake had a reputation, even in Australian circles, of being a white-ball player, but I think that's because he scored a 100 in a Big Bash final and got labelled as a hitter.

"Whenever I watched Jake bat, the way he went about his game, he looked to me more of a red-ball cricketer - his defence was rock solid, but his ability to attack anything slightly short or wide was really impressive."

Jake Weatherald (front row, second from right) with the Great Witchingham team

How did Weatherald fit in with the rest of them team at Great Witchingham?

"He fitted in really well. At that point in time it was a good moment in his life as he'd just got married in Italy. Almost straight from the wedding he flew over to join us in England," said Hale.

"He wanted to enjoy his cricket with a bit of the pressure off and he was great, always a life-and-soul-of-the-changing-room kind of guy, a lot of the laughs and the banter would revolve around Jake and what he was up to - he's one of those big energy characters."

Weatherald ended the season with 604 runs from 19 games, with five 50s to go with his century, but nine runs fewer than Hale.

The skipper said: "It's every club cricketer's dream to have a better season than the guy who's going to potentially open the batting for Australia but I would caveat that by saying that he scored more league runs than me, and I did bat a few more times in the season.

"Ultimately, if I do look on Play Cricket, there is a marker in history which shows I scored more runs than Jake, and I took more wickets than Monty Panesar in the same season, so that's a story I'm going to tell for evermore."

Faced Archer in Big Bash

Weatherald, 31, has reached Australia's squad with a first-class record of 5,269 runs at an average of 37.63, including 13 centuries and a highest score of 198.

And he puts a lot of focus on mental wellbeing and having the right mindset.

Hale said: "It was a fascinating insight for me into what that pro level of cricket looks like. Within his professional circles, he assists in culture groups in Tasmania which is all about creating a brilliant environment to play cricket - and these things were all to get him ready for when this opportunity came along."

Weatherald will find himself up against one of England's quickest attacks in years with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Josh Tongue among their pace options.

"From conversations I've had with Jake, a lot of his best innings have come against express bowling - when he got the 100 in the Big Bash final, that was against Jofra Archer," said Hale.

"One of the oddities when you get a player like Jake in club cricket, you don't get to see the highest level of his skill-set because he isn't facing people who can bowl 90mph.

"But we did on a couple of occasions - Copdock that year had Michael Rae, who's played for New Zealand A and isn't slow by any means and he pushed the ball in halfway down and I've never seen anyone as quick on the pull shot as Jake and he absolutely whacked it."

He added: "I think he'll fare pretty well against it (from England). I suspect the pitches are going to be a little spicy and it's going to be difficult to be an opening batter. He is going to have a tricky challenge but he understands what it takes to survive in those conditions."