It’s never a good start running your captain out in a cricket final, but Nick Hobson quickly went from zero to hero for the Scorchers to seal Perth their fifth Big Bash League crown.
When Ashton Turner (53 off 32 balls) was forced to depart after the horror mix-up in the 17th over, the Scorchers still needed 39 off 19 balls – with two players at the crease who had faced just a combined 50 balls this year.
But it was 19-year-old Cooper Connolly (25 off 11 balls) who got the chase rolling before Hobson finished the Brisbane Heat off as Perth claimed the BBL crown with a five-wicket win.
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Hobson, who needed to take annual leave from his day job as an accountant to take part in the BBL campaign, laughed as he said he wasn’t going in to work on Monday after the title celebrations.
“I actually called them last week and the first thing they said was ‘you’re not coming back Monday are you?’. I said ‘no I’m not’,” he laughed.
“I’ll come back the week after. I’ll let it all decompress.
“To play every game this season, win a final, I couldn’t have dreamt of it really.”
Needing 10 from the final over after Connolly’s heroics, Hobson smashed Michael Neser for 6 and then hit the winning runs with another boundary next ball – in front of a BBL finals record crowd for more than 53,000.
“That six when I hit Neser in the final over, it was so loud and I couldn’t hold my excitement,” he said.
“I’ve never played in front of anything like that, I’ll remember that forever.”
Hobson said he had to try and block out the disaster with Turner before he could concentrate on getting Perth across the line.
“I’m still probably going to wake up with nightmares over that one, I think,” he said.
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“(I felt) pretty awful to be honest. It was one of those moments where I hit it and Ash yelled two straight away, but I pulled it and was way on the back foot, and I didn’t have the leg speed to get up and back.
“When I turned my instinct took over. The keeper looked like he just about had the ball, and I hesitated. It could have been disastrous, but thankfully we’re here and I can breathe.
“When I saw the throw come, my instinct said I was going to be so short, so I hesitated. That’s probably what caused Ash to go. And then as it bounced I went to go run through because Ash was on fire.”
Hobson said Turner told him he had full faith he could go on and win the match in a massive confidence boost for the 28-year-old.
“He was fine (about the run-out). Ash is an amazing captain. He gives his players so much belief,” Hobson said.
“When we were sitting there waiting for the decision, he said ‘mate you’re a gun, you’ll get us over the line, you’ll be absolutely fine, hit good shots’.
“There was no resentment. He’s an amazing leader.”
Hobson said he wasn’t sure what the future holds, but hopes to return for Perth.
“We’ll wait and see. I haven’t thought about it (playing longer form for WA). I’m just really enjoying my T20 cricket at the moment. That’s where my opportunities have come,” he said.
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“Slightly different to other guys who have a state contract – I don’t.
“So with limited prep I just focus on my T20 stuff more. If the other stuff eventuates, great, but I’m focusing on the thing that I’m picked in at the moment.”
