Decorated pace bowler Matt Kelly has called time on an exceptional career at WA Cricket, following 54 Sheffield Shield appearances and 29 One-Day Cup matches for his home state.
Star Quick Calls Time on Stellar Career
Kelly arrived at the WACA Ground on a rookie contract ahead of season 2016-17 and made his debut in both formats the following season.
Such was the impact Kelly made in a short space of time, he was upgraded to a full contract a year later.
The 31-year-old said playing cricket for his state had been a dream come true.
“Walking through the WACA Ground gates for the first time, I could never imagine where, or how far, the game would take me,” Kelly said.
“It quickly became my favourite place to be, and like so many fortunate enough to spend time there, it became a home away from home, and one that I loved.”
Kelly played in his first title-winning WA team in the 2019-20 One-Day Cup, where he took six wickets at 26.33, while conceding a respectable 4.64 runs per over.
He was also one of the standout performers in the side’s 2021-22 One-Day Cup triumph, taking eight wickets at 32, including the wicket that sealed victory in the Final against New South Wales.
The Claremont-Nedlands product also featured in the 2022-23 Final against South Australia at the WACA Ground, where WA went through the tournament unbeaten.
While he was more than effective with the white ball, it was the red ball where Kelly shone.
He featured in the side that won a drought-breaking Sheffield Shield title in season 2021-22, before truly making his mark as one of the front-line quicks in WA’s memorable 2022-23 Shield triumph.
Kelly took a stunning 35 wickets at 15.77, including a game changing spell of 4-41 in the Victoria’s second innings in the Final.
His efforts across season 2022-23 saw him finish third in the Laurie Sawle Medal behind Cameron Bancroft and Josh Philippe, while he also claimed the prestigious Excalibur Award – a values-based honour determined by teammates.
Kelly finishes his career inside WA’s top 20 wicket takers in the Sheffield Shield, with his 172 wickets at 25.80 in his 54 appearances a record that would be the envy of most.
Kelly said playing alongside his teammates and enjoying a stellar period of success had given him memories to last a lifetime.
“To every teammate that I’ve shared the field and the dressing room with, I simply want to say thank you,” he said.
“Thank you all for the most amazing journey.
“The laughs, the challenges, the success, the support and most importantly the amazing friendships that will extend well beyond the cricket field.
“I’ve loved every minute we’ve spent together, and I’ll carry those memories with me forever.”
WA Cricket’s General Manager High Performance Cricket and Elite Teams Kade Harvey paid tribute to Kelly’s time in the Men’s program.
“Across the past 10 seasons, Matt has been an outstanding contributor on and off the field,” he said.
“Matt has delivered many exceptional performances for both WA and Perth Scorchers and has played an integral role in the recent run of success across all formats.
“Most importantly, Matt embodies all the traits we expect of our players and is held in the highest regard by all staff and players.
“We wish Matt all the very best in his future endeavours and will always be welcome back at the WACA Ground.”
Matt Kelly
One-Day Cup titles: 3 (2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23)
Sheffield Shield titles: 2 (2021-22, 2022-23)
BBL titles: 1 (2022-23)
Excalibur Award: 3 (2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23)