Border Gavaskar Trophy: Meet Beau Webster: Australian cricket’s ‘Garfield’ | Cricket News
With a bit of uncertainty over ‘sore’ Mitch Marsh’s availability for the Second Pink Ball Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy starting at Adelaide Oval from December 6, the spotlight has been on 30-year-old Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster. The six foot five inch tall all-rounder has been named in the Australian squad for the second Test as a likely cover for ‘sore’ Mitch Marsh. The Tasmanian all-rounder, who had scored 938 runs and took 30 wickets in last Shield season, shared how he would get a text from his team-mates terming him as Garfield, in reference to legendary West Indian great Sir Garfield Sobers. The West Indian legend had also played for South Australia in the title-winning 1963-64 season, where he scored 973 runs and took 47 wickets.
“It was pretty special, no doubt. I suppose it’s a little bit embarrassing when you get likened to someone like that. I always get a text from some of the boys around the country if I do well, just the one word: ‘Garfield’. But it’s some good praise and I’ll take it. I feel like I’ve been playing my best cricket in the last two to three years and to bring it all together last year was great to get us into a Shield final. The main goal is to win one of those.” Webster told cricket.co.au on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old all-rounder, who was born in the small town of Snug in Tasmania, had started as a fast bowler during Covid-19 when he used to be an off-spinner. The Tasmanain had made his Shield debut at the age of 20 and would bat at number 3 for most of the time before he emerged as the pace-bowling all-rounder for Tasmania in 2020-21. Since 2020, the lanky all-rounder has averaged close to 50 with seven centuries under his belt and his tally of 2602 runs only behind Cameron Bancroft (3041), Sam Whiteman 92811) and Peter Handscomb (2715) in Shield. His 104 first class wickets during the same time has also made him the only player in both the top 15 Shield run scorers and wicket-takers in the same time. This season, he has claimed 27 wickets for Tasmania and Australia A. “I felt really good throughout the whole (2023-24 season). It’s probably been my biggest knock, my consency over my career and the last three to four years, I’ve really started to bring it all together. Last year with both bat and ball was really pleasing … hopefully it holds me in good stead for the rest of my career.” Webster stated further.
If selected to be in the final XI, the Tasmanian would become Australia’s 468th men’s Test cricketer. During the two match unofficial Test series against India A last month, the 31-year-old had amassed 145 runs at an average of 72.50 and had taken seven wickets at an average of 19.57
“Every (Australian) cricketer would be lying if they didn’t say they wanted to wear the Baggy Green. I am not there yet but it’s nice to be in and around … the Test set-up. There’s a tight turnaround between Adelaide and the Gabba Tests so I think (I’ve been called in) just to have some cover there for that middle-order role, whichever way they go.” Webster had told the media last week.
