Jake Weatherald is an Australian opening batter who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes. Born on 4 November 1994 in Darwin, he’s a left-hander who made his Test debut for Australia in November 2025 — the first born-and-bred Territorian to play Test cricket. Weatherald famously scored the first-ever hundred in a BBL final.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jake Beath Weatherald |
| Born | 4 November 1994, Darwin, NT |
| Role | Opening batter |
| Batting | Left-handed |
| Bowling | Leg-break |
| BBL team | Hobart Hurricanes (previously Adelaide Strikers) |
| State team | South Australia (returned 2026-27, previously Tasmania) |
| Australia caps | 6 Tests |
Early Life and Domestic Career
Weatherald grew up in Darwin playing for Darwin CC — cricket runs in the family, with his cousin Tim also playing first-class cricket. He made his first-class debut for South Australia in 2016 and impressed immediately — 66 and 96 in his first Sheffield Shield final at Glenelg. Within two years, former fast bowler Brett Lee was calling him a future international. It took almost a decade for that prediction to come true.
After eight seasons with South Australia, he moved to Tasmania in 2023-24. It took time — he spent almost a full summer on the outer — but in 2024-25 he was the Shield’s standout batter with 906 runs at 50.33, which surged him into Ashes contention. He played every game for the Tigers that season. Under mentors Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan and former Test opener Chris Rogers, his red-ball game reached a new level. He returned to South Australia for the 2026-27 summer.
The BBL Final Hundred
Weatherald will always own a piece of BBL history. In the BBL|07 final, playing for the Adelaide Strikers against the Hurricanes, he became the first player ever to score a hundred in a BBL final — a match-winning knock that remains one of the competition’s iconic innings.
He spent nine seasons with the Strikers (2016/17 to 2024/25) before joining the Hurricanes for 2025/26. In 98 T20 matches, he’s scored 2,324 runs at 25.82 with 1 hundred and 15 fifties, including a best of 115.
Beyond Australia, Weatherald has tested himself in the PSL with the Quetta Gladiators (2021) and in English county cricket with Leicestershire (2026), spending northern summers sharpening his game in league cricket.
International Career
The Ashes call came at the start of the 2025-26 season. Weatherald made his Test debut against England on 21 November 2025 at Perth (cap 473) — flattened by a Jofra Archer thunderbolt for a second-ball duck in the first innings, then fighting back with 23 in the second dig of a famous Australian win. He had been supposed to open with 85-Test veteran Usman Khawaja but instead walked out with Marnus Labuschagne on that chaotic first morning. He put on a 75-run stand with Travis Head at better than a run a ball to motor Australia towards their chase of 205, and later admitted he feared being dropped after just one Test.
In August 2026, he became the first born-and-bred Territorian to play Test cricket in his home city, against Bangladesh in Darwin — then was promptly dropped after a lean outing (23 and a duck). In 6 Tests, he scored 224 runs at 20.36 with one fifty (a best of 72). See his full player page on cricket.com.au.
Playing Style
Weatherald is an aggressive left-handed opener who takes the attack to the new ball. In T20 cricket, he goes hard in the powerplay and backs himself to clear the ropes. His red-ball game, rebuilt under Vaughan and Rogers, is tighter and more patient — though his Ashes debut showed the step up to Test cricket is a tough one.
At the Hurricanes, his job is clear: give it a whack in the powerplay and set the tone. After nine years of Strikers service, he’s the experienced head in a top order that also features new faces. If he fires early in BBL|16, the Hurricanes’ batting looks a lot deeper.
By the numbers, his domestic record is seriously good: a first-class best of 198, a List A best of 141, and more than 6,000 first-class runs. The Test chapter didn’t go as planned, but at 31 he has plenty of cricket left — and the BBL final hundred means he’ll always have a place in this competition’s history.
Recent Form and What to Watch
Being dropped after the Darwin Test was a blow, but Weatherald’s Shield record says he knows how to bounce back. South Australia’s Sheffield Shield season is underway, and a big summer with the bat would put his name back in the national conversation. He returns to South Australia for the 2026-27 summer with a point to prove, and the Hurricanes will lean on his experience at the top of the order in BBL|16. A strong BBL|16 with the bat would remind everyone why the selectors took the punt in the first place back in 2025. He’s playing alongside new Hurricanes recruit Adam Zampa and veteran Ben McDermott.
Key Stats
Test Career (Australia)
| Matches | Runs | Avg | HS | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 224 | 20.36 | 72 | 1 |
First-Class Career
| Matches | Runs | Avg | HS | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93 | 6,290 | 37.44 | 198 | 14 |
T20 Career
| Matches | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 2,324 | 25.82 | 130.86 | 115 | 1 |
List A Career
| Matches | Runs | Avg | HS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 1,694 | 34.57 | 141 |
Last verified: 18 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored the first hundred in a BBL final?
Jake Weatherald. Playing for the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL|07 final against the Hurricanes, he became the first player to score a century in a BBL final.
Has Weatherald played Test cricket?
Yes. He made his Test debut against England in November 2025 and played 6 Tests, including one in his home city of Darwin against Bangladesh.
Why is Weatherald’s Darwin Test special?
He was the first born-and-bred Territorian to play Test cricket in Darwin.
See the BBL 2027 schedule for Hurricanes fixtures, meet the other BBL 2027 teams, and check the BBL 2027 points table once the season starts.