Jordan Silk

His introduction to first-class cricket came during the 2012-13 summer. In just his third appearance at that level he reached three figures, and that innings played a part in Tasmania claiming the Shield title that season. Across three matches in that first campaign he gathered 347 runs, an encouraging opening for a young batsman.

The seasons that followed were harder going. In his second Shield summer he compiled 421 runs from 6 matches, averaging 35.08. His returns dipped again in 2014-15, when 10 outings for Tasmania produced 503 runs at an average of 27.94, and talk of him as a coming star quietened. In the 2015-16 season he chose not to take part in the Matador One Day Cup and was also left out of the Tasmanian first-class team. Even so, observers of the Australian game continued to regard him as a player with a future.

Where Silk has stood out most clearly is in the field. Ricky Ponting once described him as the best fieldsman in the country, and his work patrolling the boundary has supported that praise. A spectacular catch he held during BBL 03 was widely shared online. He first turned out for the Sydney Sixers in the 2013-14 season and has remained with the franchise in the Big Bash since then.