Who is Beau Webster? 5 interesting facts about the Australian all-rounder who bowled Western Australia out from 52/2 to 53 all out

Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster is in the news for his heroics against Western Australia in a one-day game on Friday, October 25. The hosts batted first at the WACA Ground and were going steadily at 52/2 in the 16th over.

However, Webster started wreaking havoc from then, and picked up five wickets to one he had already bagged, to help his side bowl WA out for 53, with the addition of just one run to their score.

The fact that the defending champions lost eight wickets for one run is being seen as extremely embarrassing, with the last seven of their batters getting out for a duck. Webster eventually finished with figures of 6-17.

In this listicle, we take a look at five interesting facts about Beau Webster.

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#1 Beau Webster can bowl off-spin and pace

One of the most interesting facts about Webster is that he can bowl both medium-pace and spin. Although he was, at first, seen bowling just off-spin for Tasmania early on in his career, he decided to shake things up from the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield season and bowl medium pace as well.

This was done so that he could make use of his height and trouble batters with the awkward bounce that he can generate from the back of a length. The 6ft 6inch all-rounder revealed that he developed the skill during the COVID-19-induced lockdown, drawing comparisons with Colin Miller and the late Andrew Symonds.

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#2 He has led Cricket Australia in List A cricket

Webster first came into the reckoning for Australia when he was asked to lead a Cricket Australia XI in the 2017-18 edition of the JLT Cup, the premier domestic one-day competition in the country. A lot of talented youngsters such as Matthew Kuhnemann, Harry Nielsen and Param Uppal played under him in that tourney.

Webster was thrust into the limelight barely three years after making his first-class debut and one year after his List-A debut by the national selectors. However, this just goes to show how highly he is rated by the establishment in Australia and why he can be the ideal backup option to either Mitchell Marsh or Cameron Green.

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#3 He has played for Essex and Gloucestershire in English county cricket

Another exciting fact about Webster is that he has played for two counties in English domestic cricket - Essex and Gloucestershire. This is a regular feature among first-class cricketers of Australia, who go over to English shores in the northern hemisphere's summer to test their wares and improve themselves.

This experience of playing in swinging conditions in England has certainly helped Webster add layers to his game. He currently averages about 37 in first-class cricket with the bat in hand, and has amassed an exact 5000 runs with 12 centuries and 22 half-centuries to his credit.

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#4 He has played junior-level AFL

An extremely interesting fact about Webster is that he has played Australian Rules Football up till the under-18 level. He has also spoken about how he went face-to-face with current AFL star Brodie Grundy in a game in 2012 when he was representing Tassie Mariners against South Australia.

Although a future in the sport did not materialise, Webster did not give up. He even met recruiters from Sydney and Geelong but somehow could not quite get a professional contract in the sport. He stuck to cricket and has instead reaped the dividends of his hard work, discipline and determination.

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#5 He has played for three teams in the BBL

Webster is among those very few Australian cricketers who have played for both the Melbourne-based franchises in the Big Bash League. He counts himself fortunate to have represented both the Stars and the Renegades. It is with the former that he is based with currently.

The 30-year-old first played for his home franchise Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL in 2016-17 before the Renegades swooped in to pick him up the next campaign. He spent four years at the Docklands Stadium before shifting to the Renegades' cross-town rivals, the Stars, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in 2021-22.