Nick Hobson, one of the standout players in Perth Scorchers' historic fifth BBL title victory, has signed a new contract for the upcoming season.
Hobson's rise to prominence in the Big Bash League has been anything but straightforward. Balancing his day job as an accountant for 10 months of the year with his cricket career during the summer, the 29-year-old has taken a unique path to the top.
His breakthrough came through specialising in 'power finishing,' a role that few Australians have mastered. After losing his Western Australia rookie contract in 2016, Hobson focused exclusively on white-ball cricket, leading to a one-year deal to return to the Scorchers for KFC BBL|14.
Although he sometimes wonders if he has dedicated too much time to white-ball cricket, as the only runs he scores against the red ball for his Premier club Claremont Nedlands are from aggressive shots, Hobson acknowledges that this focus has opened new opportunities. Last season, he played a crucial role in Western Australia's one-day championship. Hobson shared with cricket.com.au that, while he initially aspired to play all formats, he received more chances in white-ball cricket, leading him to fully embrace it and enjoy it immensely.
He stated that since he was not playing red-ball cricket anyway, he did not lose anything professionally. Hobson, who does not claim to be the world's best power-hitter, enjoys the role and accepts that it has impacted his traditional batting style, a trade-off he is willing to make.
These trade-offs included playing in the No.6-7 role for seven of eight games during WA's 50-over title win last summer, earning him a full state contract by the end of the season. His explosive unbeaten 64 off 28 balls against South Australia in September demonstrated his potential for destruction when everything clicks.
Last season, Hobson was the second fastest-scoring batter for the Scorchers, with a strike rate of 141.86, second only to Laurie Evans (189.61). Under the guidance of renowned batting coach Jim Allenby, who also coaches Australia's T20 No.6 Tim David, Hobson experienced a pivotal moment watching his team win the BBL|11 title from the bench.
One year later, he was the one hitting the winning runs, partnering with young talent Cooper Connolly, creating a memorable moment for the 53,886 fans at Optus Stadium and millions more watching on TV.