Photo Credit: Hobart Hurricanes
Victorian spinner, Wil Parker, is the latest Hurricane to re-commit to the club for BBL|12, after signing a one-year contract extension before the start of the BBL contract embargo period in January.Coming up through the Victorian cricket pathway – and also a talented Australian rules footballer – at just 17 years of age Parker became the fourth youngest-player to make his debut for his home-state of Victoria in 2020.
However, it was the Hurricanes who nabbed Parker and offered him his first BBL contract, and later that year Parker – now 18 – also made his Big Bash debut – interestingly, on the same day that he received his Year 12 ATAR.
Parker played two games in his inaugural season on the Hurricanes list, and a further five in BBL|11, often being dubbed ‘X Factor’ due to the unlucky number of times he was either named as the 12th or 13th player or subbed out – as the League’s rules permit – due to match conditions.
Although he bats in the lower order, Parker is handy at the crease, notching his BBL career top-score of 25* off just 17 deliveries against eventual Champions, the Perth Scorchers, despite coming in to bat at number 10.
Parker also holds his own in the field, and might be best-remembered by BBL fans for the screaming one-handed her took against the Adelaide Strikers in The Eliminator at the MCG – only for it to be called a six after a lengthy review.
“I’m really happy to be extending my time with the Hurricanes,” Parker said.
“I’ve always been thankful to Griff (former Hurricanes head coach, Adam Griffith) and the team for giving me that initial opportunity in the BBL – I think I will look back and realise how it was great to have that experience of being in a different environment and working with different coaches so early in my career.
“Whilst there will obviously be some new faces around the coaching group next year, we already have so much talent signed up to go again, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Cricket Tasmania’s General Manager of High Performance, Simon Insley, said securing Parker’s signature for another season was another win in the end-of-season signing period for the Hurricanes.
“There is no denying that Wil is an immense up-and-coming talent, and understandably he has been under the watchful eye of many other clubs – particularly in his home state – so we’re thrilled to be able to keep him for another season.
“He always works hard and he wants to learn, so as well as his obvious on-field talent, he’s exactly the kind of person we want to have as a part of our core group moving forward.”
Parker joins Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Joel Paris, D’Arcy Short and Matthew Wade as Hurricanes currently signed for BBL|12.
