The 30-year-old Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster has been added to the Australian Test squad for the upcoming day-night pink-ball Adelaide Test. The Adelaide Test will start on December 6. 

Australia are 0-1 behind against India in the five-match home Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 after losing the Test series opener by 295 runs. While the Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is struggling with his fitness issues, Webster has been added to the squad. 

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Beau Webster: Special all-rounder

The right-handed batter Webster is one of the unique cricketers, as he can bowl right-arm medium or off-spin, just like the former Aussie cricketers Collin Miller and Andrew Symonds.

In-form

In the last seven first-class innings, Webster scored two 60s and three more 40s. Recently, he served for Australia A, who hosted two first-class matches against India A. While Australia A won both matches, Webster had important roles with the bat in those matches as he remained not out in both fourth innings to guide the hosts to comfortable victories. After scoring 61 not out in the fourth innings of the first game, the right-handed batter scored 46 not out in the fourth innings of the next match. 

Meanwhile, while Webster took only one wicket in the first first-class match against India A, he took three wickets in both innings of the next game.

Outstanding in the last season 

Last season, Webster ended the Sheffield Shield season by scoring 938 runs (average 58.62) and taking 30 wickets. The right-handed batter was the leading run-scorer in that tournament with the help of three centuries and six half-centuries. He also finished as the joint 11th most wicket-taker in that competition, including one four-fer.

In the 132-year-old Sheffield Shield history, Webster became the only second cricketer to score 900 runs and take 30 wickets in a season. Caribbean legend Sir Garry Sobers was the first to achieve these dual records. In the 1963-64 season, Sobers scored 973 runs and took 47 wickets as his team South Australia won that tournament. 

In the ongoing Sheffield Shield 2024-25, Webster has scored 303 runs in six innings, including one century and one half-century. In the meantime, he has taken nine wickets in eight innings.

6-fer in the last List A game

Before the first-class matches against India A, Webster claimed a six-wicket haul in one match of the domestic one-day cup as his dominating bowling bundled out the defending champions Western Australia for only 53 runs. 

BBL stats

In his BBL career, Webster has served for three teams, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, and Melbourne Stars. He has scored 1393 runs in 63 innings with an average of 28.42 and a strike rate of 119.36. The right-handed batter has scored 11 half-centuries in his BBL career. Meanwhile, he has also taken 15 wickets in his BBL career. 

Western Australia, the most successful and last three-time champions of the One-Day Cup, suffered a shocking defeat against Tasmania after suffering a rarest batting collapse.

Western Australia started the One-Day Cup 2024/25 season with two close defeats against New South Wales (lost by eight runs) and South Australia (lost by two runs) before beating Queensland by four wickets in the high-scoring chase. 

Perth’s WACA hosted the Western Australia vs Tasmania match, where Tasmania captain Jordan Silk chose to field first. 

After the opener Aaron Hardie was dismissed for only seven runs, another opener D’Arcy Short lost his wicket after scoring 22 runs. Cameron Bancroft was the next batter out when the real drama started.

Eight wickets for only one run

Western Australia lost their last eight wickets only for one run as they were bundled out for only 53 runs in 20.1 overs. All the last seven batters failed to open their accounts, including the last unbeaten batter. It was the second-lowest completed total in the Australian domestic One-Day Cup history. The record lowest total in this list is 51 all out by South Australia against Tasmania at Hobart in January 2003. 

Tasmania bowler Beau Webster had the bowling figures of 6-2-17-6. Also, Billy Stanlake (3/12) and Tom Rogers (1/12) picked up wickets in that innings. Webster recorded the sixth-best bowling figures in tournament history and second-best by a Tasmania bowler.

Best bowling figures in Australian domestic One-Day Cup history

Fastest chase in tournament history despite a short panic

Although openers Caleb Jewell (3), Mitchell Owen (29), and the no.4 batter and skipper Jordan Silk (1) lost wickets quickly, as Tasmania’s 33/0 quickly turned to 34/3, they still comfortably reached the target in 8.3 overs without losing any other wickets. In that chasing, Matthew Wade scored a crucial 21 not out off 13 balls with three fours and one six.

Among the Western Australia bowlers, Joel Paris (2/10) and Lance Morris (1/20) took wickets.

While Tasmania won the match by seven wickets with 249 balls to spare, it was the fastest successful chasing and largest winning margin (by balls remaining in the second innings) in the tournament history. The previous record was successfully chasing the target with 233 balls to spare by Victoria against Cricket Australia XI at Sydney in 2015.