Hardie act to follow: WA's latest all-round star

He bowls 135kph and he can bat all day. Aaron Hardie has announced himself as a player of the future with a remarkable all-round performance in the Marsh Sheffield Shield final.

Mitch Marsh, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar and Hardie – Western Australia is making a habit of uncovering outstanding allrounders.

The right-hander may say he doesn't yet believe he's close to emulating his West Australian teammates in representing his country but today he capped off a golden summer by becoming a Shield champion at just 23 years old.

Hardie's second first-class century could not have come at a better time for Western Australia as he shared a 174-run partnership with opener Sam Whiteman to bat the hosts out of trouble and into an unlosable position by stumps on day four.

With the title captured on Monday, Hardie said it was his "number one" career highlight so far.

"It's a Shield final hundred so I was pretty stoked, it's been an amazing year so far," he said.

"To be able to take a few wickets in the first innings and then to be able to score some runs, it's a pretty memorable game.

"It's the best game of cricket I've ever been involved in, definitely my number one so absolutely stoked.

"It's an incredible feeling and to bring a Shield home to WA is something I never thought I'd be able to do."

Hardie had also played a key role with the ball over the past month to help Western Australia reach and host the final at the WACA.

Since taking the new ball against NSW in Bankstown on March 17 after returning to the Shield side following off-season elbow surgery that kept him out of the first half of the season, Hardie has claimed 10 wickets at 14.1 in WA's final three games of the season, including match figures of 6-70 to get them into the final by beating Victoria last week.

"It's nice to be able to contribute in both parts of the game," he said.

"I'm really happy to have the chance to take the new ball, the more time you're involved in the game the better.

"The plan was always that I'd be able to bowl again around Christmas time, things took a little longer than expected but as an allrounder you always pride yourself on being able to contribute with both aspects, bat and ball.

"I'm just excited to be back playing for WA, this is only my 10th Shield game, third game for the year so I'm just stoked to be back playing with the boys."

His new ball partner, Joel Paris, was full of praise for Hardie after he snared the crucial wicket of Victoria captain Peter Handscomb for 80 right on lunch on day three.

"It's great to see 'Hards' back in the side, he's been brilliant, it adds another dimension as a batter and his bowling skills … we're super rapt for him," Paris said.

With WA also winning the Marsh One-Day Cup last month and the Perth Scorchers claiming the KFC BBL|11 crown, Hardie was the closest to joining the elusive club of players to win all three Australian domestic cricket titles in the same season.

Hardie, who was an X-Factor for the Big Bash final that the Scorchers won to secure their fourth BBL crown and become the competition's most successful club, was one wicket away from being brought into the game at Marvel Stadium on January 28.

Had the Scorchers lost another wicket before the 10-over mark of their innings, Scorchers and WA coach Adam Voges, who coached all three titles, said afterwards they had the paperwork ready to go to activate Hardie into the game.

Laurie Evans and Ashton Turner lifted the Scorchers from 4-25 with a 104-run fifth wicket partnership to get them back in the game, meaning Hardie wasn't required as they bowled the Sydney Sixers out for 92 to win by 79 runs.

Had Hardie been activated, and with today's Shield title win against Victoria, he would have joined Marcus Harris, Chris Tremain and Cameron White as the only players to win Australia's 'triple crown' of domestic competitions in the same season after Victoria and the Renegades won the Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup and BBL titles in 2018-19.

But with the Scorchers XI that beat the Sixers in the Big Bash final completely different to the one selected in the Sheffield Shield final over the past five days, no fresh faces will be added to that exclusive 'triple crown' club.