Liam O'Connor (cricketer)

Liam O'Connor (born 20 June 1993) is an Australian cricketer. He was previously contracted with the Western Warriors, Western Australia's state team, but initially he did not play any first-class or List A matches for the state. Since 2016, he has played for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, being brought into the squad for BBL|06 as an injury replacement, winning the tournament with the team in BBL|07. In 2019, he made his first-class and List A debuts for Western Australia.

Liam O'Connor
Personal information
Full name
Liam Nicholas O'Connor
Born (1993-06-20) 20 June 1993
Perth, Western Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm leg break
RoleBowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2016–presentAdelaide Strikers
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20
Matches 3 4 23
Runs scored 0 0 7
Batting average 0.00 0.00 1.75
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0
Top score 0* 0* 2
Balls bowled 516 198 456
Wickets 10 4 15
Bowling average 33.50 48.75 39.06
5 wickets in innings 1 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 5/131 3/35 3/30
Catches/stumpings 0/– 1/– 8/–
Source: Cricinfo, 4 October 2021

Cricket career

O'Connor first started to gain attention in the 2014–15 season playing grade cricket in Perth for Bayswater-Morley District Cricket Club. In 15 games in the premier division he took 29 wickets, enough to earn himself a rookie contract with the Western Warriors, Western Australia's state team, for the 2015–16 season.[1] Though he came close to a Sheffield Shield debut, he did not get into the state team and instead played for Western Australia Under-23s in the Futures League. He was the team's leading wicket taker with 28 wickets from just six games.[1] As a result of his strong form he was upgraded to a full contract with the state for the 2016–17 season.[2]

Despite now being on a full contract with Western Australia, O'Connor still did not make his debut for Western Australia in either first-class or List A cricket.[3] Shortly before the 2016–17 Big Bash League season he did not have a contract with any of the eight franchises, but Adelaide Strikers spinner Jon Holland was injured and unable to compete in the tournament, so the Strikers needed to find a replacement player. Strikers captain Brad Hodge had previously coached Western Australian wicket-keeper Josh Inglis in a tour match, so Inglis suggested that O'Connor would be a good bowler to sign. The Strikers signed him for the season, and he ended up playing every game in the first half of the tournament.[3] His standout performance came when he took the wickets of Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott in the New Year's Eve match to achieve bowling figures of 2/12 in a win.[3]

As a result of his strong performances, O'Connor was re-signed by the Strikers for BBL|07,[4] but he was not offered another contract with Western Australia.[5] Throughout the tournament he was unable to play because Strikers' international player Rashid Khan was the team's main spinner, being the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. O'Connor played his only match of BBL|07 in the final against the Hobart Hurricanes, while Khan was on international duty with Afghanistan. He was the second-most economical bowler on the day with figures of 0/27, only two boundaries hit off of his bowling. The Strikers won the match and the tournament. Before returning to Perth at the end of the tournament he went to Brisbane to help the Papua New Guinea spinners in the team's training camp ahead of the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.[6]

He made his first-class debut for Western Australia in the 2018–19 Sheffield Shield season on 23 February 2019.[7] He made his List A debut on 31 October 2019, for Western Australia in the 2019–20 Marsh One-Day Cup.[8]

Personal life

O'Connor works as an insurance broker for Robinson Insurance Broking, playing cricket part-time.[6]

References
  1. "Liam O'Connor". waca.com.au. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. "Wells and Duffield earn Western Australia contracts". ESPNcricinfo. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. Earle, Richard (4 January 2017). "Strikers spinner Liam O'Connor feeling at home after a nervous start to Big Bash campaign". The Advertiser. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  4. "Head, O'Connor re-sign for Strikers". cricket.com.au. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. "WACA Finalises State Contracts For 2017-18". waca.com.au. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  6. McArdle, Jordan (7 February 2018). "Big Bash League: How WA leg-spinner Liam O'Connor became a BBL champion with Adelaide Strikers". The West Australian. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  7. "20th match, Sheffield Shield at Sydney, Feb 23-26 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  8. "16th Match, The Marsh Cup at Carrara, Oct 31 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
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