An accountant who became an unlikely cricket hero in Australia’s Big Bash League

Nick Hobson has a full-time job as an accountant at Ernst & Young, but he won’t be at his desk on Monday, February 6, after nearly two months of annual leave.

And for good reason. Hobson, 28, became an unlikely cricketing hero when he powered Perth Scorchers past Brisbane Heat in an epic final to claim his fifth Big Bash League title.

“I rang them last week and the first thing they said was ‘you’re not coming back on Monday are you’ I said ‘no I’m not,'” grinned Hobson from his office job.

“I’ll be back in a week. I’ll let it all unravel.”

During a whirlwind match in which he memorably teamed up with 19-year-old Cooper Connolly, who by the end of the match had become a cult favorite among the raucous 53,886 fans at Perth Stadium, Hobson went from villain to hero. .

He became enemy number one after a horrific tussle with skipper Ashton Turner, who led the Scorchers to the title until he was run out on 53.

Hobson, who had been hitless in six of his previous eight games, was looking to dig himself a hole in the middle of the ground and escape the wrath of a sold-out crowd that was suddenly nervous as the underdogs Heat became favorites.

“Pretty awful, to be honest,” Hobson described how he felt after Turner was fired. “I’m still probably going to wake up with nightmares about it.”

But Hobson immediately received some much-needed refreshment from the composed Turner, whose respected leadership shined through adversity.

“When we were sitting there waiting for the decision, he said ‘man, you’re a weapon, you’re going to get us over the line, you’re all right, you’re hitting good shots,'” Hobson recalled. “There was no hard work. He’s an amazing leader.”

Connolly, who had previously faced just 11 balls in his BBL career, believed his inexperience and fearlessly smashed 18 runs in the 18th over to swing the match back in favor of the home side.

The nerve-racking decider came in the final with the title hanging in the balance and the Scorchers needing 10 runs off star quick Michael Neser, who is on the fringes of Australia’s Test squad.

After Connolly’s first ball single, it was Hobson’s turn to step up the pressure and he did just that with a six over deep midwicket and then a boundary to set off a wild celebration.

“I’ve never played in front of anything like that, I’ll remember it forever,” Hobson remarked of the fourth largest crowd in BBL history. “I’m excited. To play every game this season, to win the final, I couldn’t have even dreamed of it.”

But eventually a return to the day job looms as Hobson is not a full-time cricketer and has never played at first-class level. “We’ll wait and see. I haven’t thought about it,” Hobson said when asked if he thought he could take more chances.

“So with the limited preparation, I’m just going to focus more on my T20 stuff. If other stuff happens, great, but I’m going to focus on what I’m selected for right now.”

His cricketing future is up in the air, but Hobson is sure to be the toast of the office on his first day on the job.