'Hit it hard': Connolly reveals Hobson's calming influence

"Just keep a strong base, if it's there, hit it for six. If it's not there, hit hard along the ground."

He'd just burnt his skipper Ashton Turner and Perth Stadium was dead silent, but those were the calming words of Nick Hobson to young gun Cooper Connolly.

The 19-year-old was in just his fourth T20 match and had faced just 11 balls this season, but in two strikes he etched his name into Big Bash folklore and sent a record KFC BBL attendance into a frenzy.

"I was nervous, I was like 'oh no, that's a big wicket, he's a power-hitter'," Connolly told cricket.com.au of the moment Turner was left stranded mid-pitch in the 17th over coming back for a second run.

At that point, the Scorchers still needed 40 from 20 balls to secure back-to-back BBL titles.

"I walk out to 'Hobbo' (Hobson) and I said we can do this mate, we can get us over the line," Connolly said.

"'Hobbo's' played in this for a couple of years now and he said to me 'just keep a strong base, if it's there, hit it for six. If it's not there, hit hard along the ground.

"As simple as that sounds, I (went) with that. And luckily enough the (second) one that I hit six over mid-wicket, I was set up for a baseball hit and it came out the middle.

"Momentum works in funny ways and we had the momentum and it helped us get over the line today."

Connolly – a former Australian Under-19 captain who has been part of WA's list since last season – smashed his 13th and 19th balls faced of the tournament for six and his 15th to the boundary in an incredible 11-ball 25 not out before Hobson secured Perth's fifth BBL title with four balls to spare.

Hobson revealed on the Channel 7 broadcast post-match that he thought he'd "bottled it" after running out Turner on 53 just as he appeared to be guiding his side to victory with another memorable finals knock.

"I've got a lot of confidence in all the guys we pick," Turner told cricket.com.au.

"We pride ourselves on being a tough team to break into and there's a reason that there's some amazing players not getting picked in our in our side.

"Nick Hobson and Cooper Connolly, while the wider public probably haven't seen a lot of them, behind the scenes, we know how good of players they are.

"They're picked in our team to bat six and seven because they've got a really specific role and we have a lot of confidence in that.

"It's been a credit to our top-order that we hadn't seen enough of those guys, but for them to walk out and get us over the line in the biggest game of this competition, hopefully it's satisfying for them."

Image Id: FB48061247AF46EF9FAA771CA72EF693 Image Caption: Connolly celebrates with Scorchers veteran AJ Tye // Getty

Turner said the common denominator with good players was being confident in their skills.

"It's all well and good to have the skill but can you execute that skill under pressure," he said.

"In domestic cricket in Australia, we probably don't face a more pressured situation (than a BBL Final).

"He's a confident kid. He wants to be bowling more overs than he bowls. He wants to be in the hotspots in the field. And he wants the bat in his hand come to clutch moments in big games.

"Those attributes will hold him in great stead in the future."

Connolly revealed there was a moment where he thought they were out of it, but he says he feasted on the emotions of the 53,886-strong crowd to find a way to get the job done.

"I loved every bit of it," he said.

Image Id: 19DA8195A6874026AD2D0DECB5EB40F6 Image Caption: Connolly hits one of his two sixes in the BBL|12 Final // Getty

"You dream as a kid of this moment to win a BBL Final and to do it as a 19-year-old as early as I've done, it's so amazing.

"The crowd was very loud when I walked out, I just felt like the best way for me to take it was to embrace it and just enjoy the experience because I know BBL titles don't come around very often."

But one imagines given his talent, and the success of the Perth Scorchers, he just might win a few more.

Top five BBL crowds

1. 80,883 – Stars v Renegades, MCG, January 2016

2. 71,162 – Stars v Renegades, MCG, January 2017

3. 54,478 – Stars v Renegades, MCG, January 2020

4. 53,886 – Scorchers v Heat, Perth Stadium, February 2023

5. 52,633 – Strikers v Sixers, Adelaide Oval, January 2015