Coulter-Nile cautious despite strong return

Nathan Coulter-Nile is yet to regain full confidence in his suspect hamstring, but the big-hitting paceman is excited after helping to fire Perth Scorchers into a fourth straight KFC T20 Big Bash League final.

Coulter-Nile returned from a two-month injury absence in style with both bat and ball on Sunday night as the Scorchers booked a spot in Wednesday's BBL final in Canberra against Sydney Sixers.

Coulter-Nile injured his hamstring on November 21 while playing in the Carlton Mid ODI Tr-Series for Australia against South Africa, a cruel blow that ended his hopes of a Test debut this summer and a place in the Cricket World Cup squad.

Following two months of gruelling rehabilitation, he returned in the pressure-cooker environment of Sunday's BBL semi-final and delivered.

The 27-year-old paceman arrived at the crease with the Scorchers struggling at 5-99 after 15 overs, but he hit two sixes and two fours to make 22 from nine deliveries to help the home side post a competitive total of 7-144.

Then with the ball, Coulter-Nile took 2-31 from four overs, including the crucial wicket of Kevin Pietersen for 31, as the Scorchers bowled out the Stars for 126 to book in a place in Wednesday's final.

Coulter-Nile gets the key breakthrough

Coulter-Nile realises that only by playing more cricket will he gain confidence that his hamstring can hold up.

"You wouldn't wish it upon anyone being in rehab. There's a few boys there I'm with at the moment, Joely Paris and Mitch Marsh, so I was a little bit lucky that I had a bit of company, but it's a pretty lonely place," he said.

"I'll become confident the more I play. At the moment, I'm a little bit iffy, just because it keeps happening. I've done everything I can possibly do to keep it attached so, hopefully, it stays on."

Coulter-Nile had some nerves coming into his return game with so much at stake, but he couldn't have been happier with the result.

"It was a bit weird coming to the ground - I haven't felt that nervous - I can't remember when. It was a pretty good feeling actually; I really enjoyed that excitement and nervous anticipation of playing. So that was something that I didn't realise I missed," Coulter-Nile said.

"My first couple of overs, I didn't really know where they were going. It got better the more I went on, so it's good signs for Wednesday."