It’s been 21 years since Darwin last hosted a Test match, Australia’s 149-run victory over Sri Lanka in 2004.
Glenn McGrath claimed a five-wicket haul, Adam Gilchrist slapped a dazzling half-century, while a baby-faced Lasith Malinga made his international debut.
Sitting in the stands at Marrara Oval was a nine-year-old Jake Weatherald, enjoying a rare opportunity to watch his childhood heroes within driving distance of his home.
It was the moment he decided he wanted to become an Australian cricketer.
“That experience for me probably drove a lot of my ambition to play for Australia,” Weatherald told Fox Cricket’s Domesticated this week.
“I got to be around Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Darren Lehmann, people that I had watched on TV.
“Then to actually speak to them and get photos, it was an amazing experience.”
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With the lone exception of Damien Martyn, who moved from Darwin when he was a three-year-old, the Northern Territory hasn’t produced many high-profile cricketers, with the region dominated by footy supporters.
But Weatherald, who was born and raised in Darwin, is a Big Bash League champion and state cricket stalwart, while he’s within touching distance of receiving a coveted baggy green courtesy of his recent Sheffield Shield exploits.
The 30-year-old hopes he can inspire a generation of budding cricketers in the Northern Territory.
“Growing up (in Darwin), you had your club role models, but you never had any great representation in the international or domestic scene to aspire to,” he explained.
”For me, to be able to provide that for some kids back home would be awesome. The boys and girls there, to be able to show that there’s a pathway from playing in the NT, which is obviously quite a small place.
“It would be cool for me to show that there are some great players that can come from there if you give them the chance.”
Earlier this summer, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg floated the possibility of Darwin hosting one of the Tests for next year’s Bangladesh tour, potentially ending a 22-year drought.
Weatherald flagged the recent white-ball series against South Africa, where the Australian men’s side played in front of packed crowds at Marrara Oval, as proof Darwin was starving for more international cricket.
And he knows first-hand how beneficial the exposure would be for aspiring cricketers in the Northern Territory, claiming the lack of visibility has “stunted” the sport’s growth in the region.
”Even if I’m not a part of it, just to see Test cricket back there would be great for the kids. I know how much they love it up there,” Weatherald said.
“They’re starved of high-quality cricket.
“You saw in the T20 series against South Africa that they love their cricket up there. They filled that stadium. People didn’t think that was possible considering it’s such a footy-dominated place.”
After learning the craft of batting during his teenage years at Darwin Cricket Club, Weatherald began his professional career in South Australia, playing eight seasons with the Redbacks before migrating to Tasmania ahead of the 2023/24 season. He wanted a fresh start, a chance to reinvigorate his career after a couple of years plagued by mixed form and mental health issues.
Having initially struggled to crack into the Tigers starting XI, the left-hander has been one of the Sheffield Shield’s most consistent performers over the last 18 months, finishing last summer as the red-ball competition’s leading run-scorer with 906 at 50.33 and a healthy strike rate of 68.27, including three centuries and three fifties in ten matches.
He’s seemingly at the peak of his powers.
“I feel like my age is getting to a point now where I’m in my prime,” Weatherald declared.
“I’m playing good cricket, I’ve learnt lots and I’ve done my study, as some would say.
“Now I’m just in a position where I understand what I need to do to make runs in first-class cricket and hopefully that’s transferable to the next level.”
Weatherald put himself on the Ashes radar over the winter by clobbering 183 for Australia A during the red-ball series against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, while his scintillating form continued into this season’s Sheffield Shield, starting the summer with three fifties across two matches. He was named player of the match for his 99-ball 94 during last week’s low-scoring contest against Western Australia at Bellerive Oval — nobody else in the seamer-dominated clash managed more than 61.
With some calculated risks, Weatherald explained, he targeted the point region early in his innings, hoping to deny the opposition bowlers a chance to settle into their spells.
“I just took some percentage risks,” Weatherald recalled.
“There were some high-class bowlers there, so it was just about putting pressure on them early in my innings.
“Thankfully, it worked out. It was fun to be out there and contribute the way I did.
“I probably took my chances a little bit, especially outside off stump … but with the way the wicket was playing, it was the best opportunity to put some pressure back on.”
Weatherald’s knock proved decisive — chasing a 259-run target for victory, Western Australia fell three runs short despite a fighting half-century from wicketkeeper Joel Curtis. The tourists at one stage needed just seven runs with two wickets in hand, but speedster Riley Meredith and veteran Jackson Bird unearthed two vital breakthroughs on the final morning to seal a memorable win.
“It was a pretty dramatic finish, it was awesome, that’s what live sport’s all about,” Weatherald said.
“We probably thought we were out of the game when they were cruising away there at (5-198).
“Then we probably went into that final day thinking, ‘Oh we’ll probably have a good chance to win this’ … when you only need two wickets, you just never feel out of it.
“It was full of drama, which was great.”
The recent struggles of incumbent Test opener Sam Konstas has created a potential vacancy in Australia’s Ashes line-up, with Marnus Labuschagne the leading candidate to take the spot. However, if national selectors wanted a specialist opener to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order this summer, Weatherald would be one of the first names on the whiteboard.
Of course, the obvious dilemma then becomes who of Cameron Green or Beau Webster squeezes out of the starting XI — both are proven match-winners in the Test arena, contributing with the ball and in the field.
Regardless, Weatherald confirmed the national selectors had reached out on multiple occasions to suss out where his batting was at, reiterating that opportunities would arise if he kept piling on the runs.
“We’ve had some correspondence, nothing more than just talking about my batting,” he revealed.
“It’s nothing more than that. It’s been pretty simplistic, nothing too complicated — just keep doing the things you’re doing.”
Weatherald also acknowledged his scoring tempo — maintaining a strike rate of 69.93 in the Sheffield Shield since the start of last summer — could give him the upper hand over other Ashes hopefuls across the country. The Tasmanian has drawn comparisons to Ben Duckett and David Warner for his attacking mindset in the middle, while no other opener in the country rivals his recent weight of runs.
“That’s certainly what my strength is and why I think that people are talking about me,” Weatherald continued.
“That’s what I probably bring to the table when compared to other players, and hopefully that’s the way they want to go.
“It’d be an awesome opportunity to be at the top of the order and be a part of a great team and some amazing players, but I’m not sure if that’s going to get me over the line or not.”
Strike rate among openers in 2024/25 Sheffield Shield
68.27 — Jake Weatherald (TAS)
54.10 — Sam Konstas (NSW)
51.93 — Usman Khawaja (QLD)
50.81 — Marcus Harris (VIC)
49.55 — Matthew Renshaw (QLD)
47.93 — Conor McInerney (SA)
43.53 — Campbell Kellaway (VIC)
41.30 — Henry Hunt (SA)
35.46 — Cameron Bancroft (WA)
Weatherald will get one final chance to push his Ashes credentials during next week’s Sheffield Shield match against Victoria in Melbourne. Tigers teammate Webster, who missed the competition’s opening two rounds due to an ankle complaint, is expected to return to the state side, while Green will be hoping to prove his fitness during Western Australia’s clash against South Australia in Perth.
Elsewhere, Queensland opener Matthew Renshaw could force his way into the Test side through white-ball runs in the ODI squad, facing India in Adelaide on Thursday and at the SCG on Saturday.
Although Weatherald is naturally curious about how other Ashes candidates are faring across the country, he refuses to let himself be bogged down by their performances.
“As a sportsman, you’re obviously naturally competitive, that’s just the way you are,” he said.
“But at the same time, I know that doesn’t really serve me that much. It doesn’t serve my career. It doesn’t serve what’s going to happen in my future and what’s going to happen in the Australian team. It’s only going to add confusion to me.
“For me, it’s just try to rock up and shut it out and enjoy batting and try to be as competitive as I can out in the field with the people I’m playing against. And then whatever happens, happens.
“If my mindset is in the right place and I’m consistent with that off the field, I know I can walk into games and be fresh and ready to compete and not be daunted by things.”
The Sheffield Shield clash between Tasmania and Victoria gets underway at Junction Oval on Tuesday at 10.30am AEDT.
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