It was a sight that would have made Ben Stokes despair.
Stokes made clear during England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat this winter that he was bemused by the common practice of counties signing Australian players, thereby providing them opportunities to familiarise with conditions ahead of Test tours which are rarely, if ever, reciprocated. “I’ve never understood it,” he said.
Cut to Grace Road in the opening round of County Championship fixtures, and Jake Weatherald cruising to a half-century on his Leicestershire debut against Sussex. It was Weatherald’s maiden first-class innings in England, and he makes no secret of his hope that six early-season Championship matches will provide him with valuable experience ahead of a potential return next summer with Australia.
“Making runs in England is important, because it’s a hard thing to do sometimes – especially if the conditions go back to being green and nippy,” Weatherald tells ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a really good challenge for the Australians when they come over, and that’s why we find it so hard to win here. The more experience I have here will hold me in good stead.”
Weatherald will not care what Stokes thinks, and nor should Leicestershire. The standard in county cricket depends on the presence of high-quality overseas players, and since the PSL moved into the same window as the IPL last year, the market has never been tougher. As a result, to secure a player of Weatherald’s calibre at short notice after Peter Handscomb’s withdrawal was a coup.
In any case, there is no guarantee that Weatherald will be back for the Ashes in 2027. Australia have a hectic Test schedule over the next year, with series against Bangladesh (home), South Africa (away), New Zealand (home) and India (away), and Weatherald’s maiden series – 201 runs at 22.33 in the Ashes, with one half-century – leaves his place vulnerable.
He received some reassurance from Australia last month when he learned, via a short call from selector George Bailey, that he would be offered a central contract for 2026-27; Bailey said that it should be read as an “indication [but] not a guarantee” that he will open the batting with Travis Head in Australia’s next Test match, against Bangladesh in Darwin in August.
“I was comfortable either way with what happened but obviously getting a contract, financially, is probably pretty beneficial,” Weatherald says. “Apart from that, it’s just about trying to continue growing and getting better, and use the learnings I had from the Ashes and the cricket I’ve been playing since to get better. From there, hopefully I’m in a good position to reward the selectors for sticking by me.”
Facing Bangladesh would be a considerable opportunity for Weatherald, who was born and raised in Darwin and watched both of Australia’s previous Tests there – against Bangladesh (2003) and Sri Lanka (2004) – as a child. “It would be pretty significant,” he says. “[Northern] Territory is not a very big place, and it’s not very cricket-dominant – more of an AFL [Australian Rules Football] base.
“My fondest memories – and why I played cricket – was watching Test cricket in the early 2000s, a long time ago. To think that I could provide some inspiration to some kid who wants to continue playing cricket – to not play footy, and play a real sport – it would be really cool to be able to provide that for them,” he adds with a grin.
Weatherald has had three months to reflect on the Ashes and has resolved to double down on his attacking mindset if he gets the chance. There was some extenuation for his relatively lean series – an incorrect lbw decision he failed to review, and extreme conditions for two two-day Tests in Perth and Melbourne – and he saw his 72 in Brisbane as evidence that he can succeed at Test level.
“You realise that, while it is faster, it’s a lot more of what else goes on that makes it harder to bat instead of actually what they bowl,” Weatherald says. “Playing your first game, I could barely feel my feet.
“Hopefully, when I go into those games, I can just play with a bit more freedom,” he adds, before correcting himself: “I will play with a lot more freedom.
“It’s [about] understanding that if I want to be successful, I’ve got to play that way. They’re things that you learn when you play Test cricket… Watching Heady bat like that [for his 629 runs in 10 innings] when he just fully committed to what he was doing – if you’re willing to do that, you get rewarded against good bowlers. If you’re a little bit off and you’re not committed to it, they’ll sort you out.
“I’m happy to wither away if I’m not successful [while playing] like that. I know that’s the only way I’m going to be successful, and it’s [about] giving myself the best chance. And there’ll be a bit of luck there, and all that stuff, but hopefully I create a bit of luck through my attitude.”
Weatherald combined for four half-century partnerships with Head, and believes they can thrive together at the top of the order. “He took pressure off me, really… He gives you a lot of confidence through the way he bats, and makes everything look slightly easier than it is.
“He is a little bit more serious than you’d think he is, but he definitely doesn’t listen to what he says. In one game, he was like, ‘Let’s just knuckle down here and get on with it’, and I reckon the next ball, he got caught at mid-on trying to launch one out of the ground… I just stay out of his way and make him relax when I’m out there, and let him do what he wants to do.”
England quickly learned that Weatherald, a strong cutter of the ball, is exceptional when offered width, but they exposed two potential vulnerabilities: he was repeatedly trapped lbw by full, straight balls, and was caught three times off miscued pull shots. “I was happy with some aspects, but realised there’s some work-ons,” he reflects.
“The biggest learning for me was the pace of the game and the pace of the bowling. In the Ashes, I felt like I didn’t get out in the way most openers would go out, like nicking off or getting bowled. I probably got out in ways that I wouldn’t get challenged in first-class cricket: there’s obviously a bit more pace trying to hit the stumps, and the occasional short one as well.”
“You don’t get much time [during a series] to go away and figure it out. You’ve just got to back what you’ve got, and hopefully you find a way… There’s certain parts of my game that work in Test cricket, and certain things I need to work out. I think they’re pretty quick to fix, but it’s about having the courage to not think about it when you walk out there.”
A late bloomer who made his debut at 31, Weatherald acknowledges that playing with “stalwarts of Australian cricket” felt “surreal” at times: “When you get out in the middle and are competing, I love that stuff… The bowlers they had were pretty fiery, too, so that stuff was awesome. I look back on it now and think, ‘That was a pretty cool period.'”
Weatherald is talking at a sun-drenched Grace Road, and has quickly settled into his new surroundings. He is living in nearby Quorn, which he describes as “the quintessential English village” – “Every time I ask, ‘What’s the village like?’, someone brings up how many pubs there are,” he grins – and will travel to Europe with his wife after his six matches with Leicestershire.
His debut last week was the club’s first Division One match since 2003 and ended in a 222-run defeat to Sussex, but Weatherald top-scored in the first innings and relished his battle with Ollie Robinson. “It’s good to play another international cricketer and get that challenge straightaway… He’s a little bit different to Jofra [Archer] in terms of pace – not skill, but definitely pace. My front shin wasn’t in as much danger, but the outside edge definitely was.”
He eventually chopped Robinson onto his own stumps for 83 and, after edging behind for 33 in the second innings, is hoping to make another substantial contribution at The Oval this week. “You have to learn how to play in a slightly different way [in England]… Conditions are very different to what we play in Australia: a lot lower, which is the challenge that was put to me by a lot of guys who have played over here.
“The ability to leave is different: here, the ball nips a bit [from a good length] but it’s still hitting the stumps. For me, it’s just learning not to leave too much, and to trust my defence a bit more… But that has to change from game to game. We come up against Surrey and from all reports, it bounces a bit more and provides a bit more pace on the wicket.”
Weatherald is determined to make use of his exposure to English conditions and makes clear that his Ashes experience has left him hungry for self-improvement. His presence should make the Championship stronger over the next six weeks – just don’t tell Stokes.
