Pomersbach's amazing season

Travis Birt was the toast of the inaugural Big Bash competition last year. His 345 runs topped the league, which he achieved at an average of 43 and with an amazing strike rate of 168. His 46 total boundaries in 8 innings meant he was producing just under 6 boundaries per inning for the Hobart Hurricanes.

This season, Brisbane's excellently named Luke Pomersbach (the bach part is particularly apt) has eclipsed Birt's achievements both in numbers and by virtue of pounding the Heat into the final courtesy of his remarkable, unbeaten 112 Semi Final feast last night.

In 9 innings, Pomersbach, who Ron Reed called the black sheep of Australian cricket, has hit 360 runs @45 with a 146 strike rate this season. He's also averaging more than 6 boundaries per inning. 

Pomersbash, like Birt, has emerged out of relative obscurity with both having to leave their home states respectively to develop their games. Both have been crucial in lifting their franchises into final series’, with Pomersbach likely to be a major player in Brisbane's quest to hoist the trophy this weekend. 

However within these numbers there does lay a cautionary tale for the West Australian native. 

After Birt's breakout campaign last summer he was indeed called up to play t20 for Australia however in 3 international innings he cobbled together just 31 runs and soon lost his place. Those performances seemed to carry into his second Big Bash campaign with Birt managing just 116 runs in 8 innings, with his average dropping down from 43 to 16. He was able to get just 14 of shots to reach the boundary this season. 

Pomersbach's Big Bash feats this season should result in an imminent international call up. Hopefully he'll be able to make a decent fist of his opportunity as the success of the likes of he and Birt, or Aaron Finch or David Warner for that matter not only bode well for the nomads of Australian cricket but for the prospects of Australia at international level and for the strength of the too often maligned Big Bash League.