Young Striker West out to impress

Jake Lehmann's final-ball match-winner stole the headlines last night at the Adelaide Oval but not-so-quietly making his own mark with the ball was left-arm quick Greg West.

Before last night's KFC Big Bash League clash between the Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes, West reckons the largest crowd he had played in front of was a "generous" 100.

There were 49,015 more people than that at the Adelaide Oval to see the 21-year-old ruffle feathers on his debut, as he picked up key early wickets to finish with 2-24 from four overs.

Highlighting West's night was a running battle with Hobart's Michael Hill, which ended amicably enough in the dressing rooms after the game but which had viewers captivated.

Having been roughed up by a few searing bouncers and then dismissed by West, Hill used his boundary-line interview with Network 10 to play down the debutant's impact.

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Asked if the banter with West had affected his focus, Hill replied, "Who? That left-armer?"

"He had a little bit to say. He probably hasn't really bowled that well. He's got me but hasn't bowled so well.

"We'll see how he goes if he has to come out to bat and face some of our quicks."

Watch: Hill's boundary-side interview

Hill was very nearly caught-and-bowled by West off his second ball, spared by the left-armer's action that took him away just a fraction too far to the right to reach the return chance.

Aggrieved – at the missed wicket and that it cost him three runs – West's next ball was a rip-snorting bouncer. Perhaps looking to target the inexperienced bowler, Hill had charged down the pitch, only to get a sniff of white leather as it whizzed past his nose, sending him into flailing and tumbling to the deck.

Hill had a measure of revenge dispatching the next ball to the midwicket fence. But the next over West sent two more bouncers zinging past the batsman's nose, the second of which was followed up with a rueful stare met with some choice advice on first-game etiquette from Hill.

"That's just the way I play," West said after the match.

"I try to make it my game as much as possible, let the batsman know I'm there to compete.

"It's just the way I find I bowl my best and I'll try to keep that coming every game I play."

Watch: West gets his man

It was his aggression and that fast-bowlers penchant for that roughing up batsman that earned him a spot in the Strikers' squad in the first place.

He impressed Strikers captain Brad Hodge with a series of short balls during a practice match and earned a contract when Gary Putland was ruled out on the eve of the tournament with a calf injury. A back stress fracture to Billy Stanlakeand with Kane Richardson with Australia's ODI squad, the path was cleared for the boy from near Newcastle to become an Adelaide favourite.

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West has been soaking up the lessons of Strikers head coach and former Australia quick Jason Gillespie as well as the club’s bowling coach and former Queensland Bulls stalwart Joe Dawes.

"Today (Gillespie) was just working on getting my nerves down, which was quite helpful," West said.

"He's been really good, the bowling coach Joe Dawes has been awesome as well. They work quite well together.

"Coming to a level like this there's smaller margins for error so being more consistent, just tweaking little nuances in my bowling. But they've been a great help."

West moved to Adelaide from Canberra in the winter seeking to fast track his career with the West End Redbacks.

Plucked from Newcastle and put into the ACT Comets, he made his Toyota Futures League debut as an 18-year-old in October 2012. Twelve months ago he was opening the bowling against England's Ian Bell and Moeen Ali in an ACT Invitational XI World Cup warm-up match.

Watch: The last over of the Adelaide Oval thriller

But the ultra-competitive Sydney scene is chock-a-block full of talent. The young man made the difficult decision to uproot his life, leaving friends and family behind, to move to Adelaide and focus on professional cricket.

Now a member of the Emerging Redbacks developmental squad he plays with Prospect District Cricket Club in South Australia Premier Cricket, playing alongside former Australia Under-19 and Victorian Bushranger Alex Keath, who is also in the Strikers squad.

West has already taken 16 wickets at 18.38 with the red ball in first grade, with a best of 6-55. Perhaps a Redbacks contract is not so far away.

"I was quite lucky to pick up this (contract with the Strikers)," West says with modesty. "I bowled well in a couple of practice games.

"The white ball has been more successful (for me) so far but I'd like to play all formats.

"Anyone at 20, 21 wants to play as much cricket as they can. To pigeonhole yourself so young would be silly."

Revelling in the step up from club cricket to a packed Adelaide Oval, West is hoping to retain his spot in the XI to face the Melbourne Renegades next Monday, with a home semi-final to follow.

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West was clocked by the speed gun around the 135kph mark on Wednesday night but has plenty of room to improve that pace. He is keen to the responsibility of bowling at the death, boasts a good yorker and has a slower ball delivered out of the back of hand rated as "really good" by his skipper, Brad Hodge.

"It's a great story, that's what this competition is all about," Hodge said of his latest strike weapon during a live cross on Network 10's commentary.

"Some of the players are stretched, we've got plenty of injuries. He's trained the house down and he's done a great job.

"You like competitors, and he's a real competitor."