It took just 35 balls for Matt Short to put himself on the path from Big Bash outsider to one of the most destructive batters of BBL|11.
Having been picked for only five games last season, the out-of-contract Short had sat down with Adelaide Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie at the end of the summer to discuss where his future lay at the club.
While always confident he would earn another contract, which materialised in October, Short stressed to Gillespie his desire to be more than just the bits-and-pieces player he had been during his three years at the club, where he would be called on to fill a hole in the batting order, or bowl an over or two.
"I wouldn't say I begged for an opportunity at the top of the order," Short tells cricket.com.au. "But we just discussed where I see myself in white-ball cricket.
"Growing up as a youngster, I was always opening the batting. And I think that's where I feel the most comfortable."
When this summer's schedule revealed a clash with the early weeks of the Big Bash and the start of Australia's Test summer, which also included an Australia A match that meant 25 of the country's best players would be out of the BBL, Short sensed the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
With regular Strikers opener Alex Carey absent for at least the first two games of the season, Short was given the chance to open in Adelaide's opening matches, both against the Melbourne Renegades, and he slammed a combined 61 runs from just 35 balls to back up those words to Gillespie with action.
And after the Tim Paine scandal meant Carey was suddenly elevated into the Test side for most of the summer, Short's early form ensured he had the opening role to himself.
"The whole Tim Paine thing and 'Kez' (Carey) getting a chance in the Test side, I guess I've got that to be thankful for," he says.
"I knew I was a chance for the top of the order (so) I had a bit of a focus on the first couple of games. I really wanted to start the tournament well and get my confidence up early, which I think I did reasonably well against the Renegades.
"And it's rolled on from the first two games."
On Monday, Short was named in the BBL's official Team of the Tournament after a campaign that has yielded a club record 487 runs, with his strike rate of 156.08 placing him behind only Glenn Maxwell among the league's top 25 run-scorers, while his 26 sixes is second only to Ben McDermott's 29.
He's also been a reliable performer with the ball, taking eight wickets, and he is one of just five bowlers in the competition to send down 40 or more overs at an economy rate of less than seven.
After three seasons in blue that had yielded just four scores over 30 and a grand total of two wickets, he's been the find of the tournament.
Key to his transformation with the bat has been the off-season work he did with Victoria coach Chris Rogers, which involved watching footage of baseballers as well as the likes of Chris Lynn and Tim David to learn how to maximise his long reach and strength.
Tweaks to his stance and pre-delivery movement have allowed him to get his weight through the ball more effectively, while a slight change to his grip has resulted in a more open bat face and more power.
But just as importantly, Short's self-belief – which he concedes he's "had a couple issues with in the last couple of years" – is at an all-time high.
A conversation with Rogers and state captain Peter Handscomb just weeks before those pivotal games against the Renegades has proven to be the catalyst for his breakout season.
"They were backing me and just telling me, 'Go out there and do your thing and play your natural game'," he recalls.
"I've gone through stages over the last few years (for Victoria) of having a couple of really good games, but it's always been a bit patchy.
"After that chat, I just looked back (on past matches) and said, I do belong here, I've played some good games before so there's no reason why I can't keep doing that.
"It's just about believing in yourself and knowing that you do belong there.
"That's something to take out of this competition into Shield cricket and one-day cricket: You know you can do it, let's just try to keep that consistency now. That's the next thing to work on."
Two ex-Victoria teammates have also been key allies for Short in the Strikers camp; assistant coach Cameron White, who has continued the technical work from the off-season, and veteran Peter Siddle, who has seen a marked transformation in the 26-year-old.
"We never really gave him a secure spot so he was always thrown into different roles, and he could never settle," Siddle said of Short's first three seasons at the club.
"We probably think of how confident he's got with the bat in hand, but I think the greater benefit we've had as a team is we've been playing him as our fifth bowler. That's where his confidence has grown; the leadership he's shown on the field … and the way he's gone about his bowling, that's been a big plus for us.
"And he's a super fielder, so he's turning into the ultimate cricketer.
"What a great find for us, to give him that opportunity and for him the grasp it the way he has all season."
