Australia thumped South Africa by 276 runs for a consolation win. While there were heroes with the bat that helped Australia to get to 431, there was one notable performance that caught the eye of everyone when Australia were bowling. It was of Cooper Connolly. Cooper Connolly played this match which was a dead rubber in place of Aaron Hardie and he made a big impact today.
He is a player who can bat lower down the order and can clear the ropes and is also a handy left-arm orthodox spinner. While it is early days in his career, he has shown promise with both bat and ball in pieces. But at Mackay, he came out with flying colours with the ball as he registered a maiden five-wicket haul. Yes, the scoreboard pressure was there, but he needs to be commended for his efforts and the return that he has got in the end.
Cooper Connolly’s 5/22 bamboozles South Africa in the middle phase of the game.Â
Cooper Connolly came onto bowl when South Africa were already under the pump having lost 4 wickets inside the first 10 overs of fielding restrictions. The visitors were on the back foot and the required rate was climbing upwards and all Cooper Connolly had to do was bowl in the right areas and get his rewards and he did that perfectly.
Yes, most of his wickets were given away by the batters as they had to go after the asking rate, but still Connolly deserves all the credit. He first got rid of Tony de Zorzi and then got the prized scalp of Dewald Brevis who was batting really well. He got rid of Wiaan Mulder thanks to a magnificent catch by Marnus Labuschagne. Corbin Bosch too fell and so did Keshav Maharaj as he completed an impressive five-wicket haul.
Cooper Connolly is still at its nascent stage of his international career and more known as a T20 player. But what he showed today was that he has potential to be a good ODI bowler as well and a consistent run and performances could lead him to be a part of the big event two years down the line. Although it is too early to talk about those things at this stage.
Could Copper Connolly play as a second spinner complimenting Adam Zampa in ODIs?Â
It’s early stages for Cooper Connolly in international cricket and he is more of an all-rounder than bowler. But going forward, the question in everyone’s mind will be can he be the second spinner in the playing XI to Adam Zampa? If Australia intends to play two spinners, they can play Connolly as well as he can bat a bit as well apart from bowling. He has so far picked up 6 wickets from 5 matches at an average of 15 and economy of 5 an over. But he is a handy batter down the order.
He will have competition for places from Aaron Hardie and can be a like-for-like replacement for Matthew Kuhmemann. Kuhnemann is also a left-arm spinner but is not that handy with the willow in hand down the order. Playing Kuhnemann and Zampa could prove to be tricky and that is where Cooper Connolly’s name comes into the scene. Cooper can also play the T20 World Cup if possible early next year because the tournament will be held in the sub-continent and he can be a utility cricketer. He is a work in progress in both formats but a handy option to have for Australia.
Going ahead, it will be interesting to see what the Australian selectors do with Cooper Connolly and whether he gets a regular consistent run in ODIs. If he gets more opportunities, he has to deliver performances to be considered for the T20Is or ODIs going ahead. But from what we saw so far, the signs are promising for Cooper who plays for Perth Scorchers in Big Bash League.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, the Australia vs South Africa series is over with the hosts taking the T20I series and the visitors winning the ODI series both by 2 matches to 1. South Africa are set to go to England next for their assignment of 3 ODIS and 3 T20Is from September 2nd while Australia take a breather and will next play in October 19th 2025 against India in a white-ball series.
We shall see how things unfold and how South Africa performs in the UK in September while we wait for Australia to come back in action in October. Lots of cricketing actions coming our way in the coming days which will entertain the fans and cricket lovers alike.
Also Read:Â AUS vs SA: Josh Inglis vs The Odds