Oh Canada! West Aussie's unusual path back to big time

The unlikely rags to riches journey of IPL millionaire Tim David could provide the blueprint for his former Western Australia teammate Matthew Spoors to return to professional cricket after more than two years on the outer.

Spoors, a former Australia Under-19 representative and teammate of David's at WA, recently broke a world record for the highest score by a debutant in T20 International cricket when he slammed 108 not out for Canada in a World Cup qualifier event.

A top order batter and leg-spinner, Spoors earned a rookie contract with WA while still in high school but was unable to play a senior game in three years at the WACA and lost his contract in 2020.

Having moved to Adelaide to revitalise his career, the now 22-year-old has also followed the lead of David in taking advantage of his dual passport to play international cricket for an Associate nation.

David, who has emerged as one of the most in-demand batters in T20 cricket, played 30 games for his native Singapore between 2019 and 2020 after his career in Perth had stalled.

Spoors is hoping the unexpected chance to play for Canada, where his mother was born, could provide similar impetus as he looks to earn a contract in his adopted state.

Image Id: E2E01510450249B09F07947B103E658A Image Caption: 'Why don't I try and go and play for Canada?' // ICC

"I'm good mates with Tim David and I saw him go play for Singapore, so I thought, 'Why don't I try and go and play for Canada?'," Spoors tells cricket.com.au.

"I mentioned it to him, and he just said, 'Why not?'. Any opportunity to go and play cricket and play international cricket, I don't know why you wouldn't do it.

"It definitely wasn't the path I saw myself going down, but it's exciting. There's certain opportunities that could happen and I think that's just the beauty of it – you don't know what could happen."

Spoors wasted little time in making an impact for his adopted nation last month, clubbing 108no from just 66 balls against the Philippines in Oman, the highest score ever by a debutant in T20 Internationals.

Channeling fellow Australian John Davison, who slammed a then World Cup record 67-ball century for Canada against West Indies in 2003, opener Spoors then hit 73no from 55 balls against Germany, although he missed out in games against Oman, Nepal and Bahrain as Canada failed to qualify for this year's T20 World Cup.

Image Id: DD7FE9C1B9FA4600A47C259FE3CD8403 Image Caption: Australian John Davison scored a 67-ball century at the 2003 World Cup // Getty

"It was definitely a special day," Spoors says of his debut.

"I didn't consider myself ever being able to play for Canada. It never really occurred to me. But nonetheless, it was a pretty cool experience and I'm pretty honoured.

"It's hard to compare (to the standard of cricket in Australia) but obviously being international cricket, there's probably a little bit more hype around it and a little bit more pressure."

Having played alongside the likes of Cameron Green, Jason Sangha and Will Sutherland for Australia's Under-19 side, Spoors' career stalled after being contracted by WA in 2017 as he struggled to get a game in a state side stacked with top-order talent.

With Shaun Marsh, Josh Philippe, Josh Inglis, D'Arcy Short and Cameron Bancroft in his way, the allrounder was unable to win a senior spot in three seasons, although he did score a half-century against a Test-quality Pakistan attack in a 2019 tour game.

Cut loose at the start of the pandemic, Spoors saw his opportunities in Perth dwindle further when COVID-19 budget cuts meant programs like second XI cricket were put on hold, and he instead played Australian Rules football during the winter before shifting to Adelaide in the middle of last year.

Image Id: 8EF55B087E2F457E98B103ABF5D9E087 Image Caption: Spoors at the crease for WA U19s // WACA

"I felt like I probably used up all my opportunities in WA," he says.

"I wasn't really performing that well in grade cricket and I just thought that I needed a change. I still believe in myself to have a cricket career and be good enough to perform. I just thought that maybe a change would do that, and I ended up in Adelaide.

"I was competing (for spots) with a few decent players. It was pretty tough as a young 18 or 19-year-old trying to break through in that time.

"But also, I wasn't performing that well. I had some good games and good seasons and showed bits and pieces, but just the consistency probably wasn't quite there.

"Things just didn't quite click for me; I'm not sure whether that was just the balance of training all the time and always being around cricket, and probably putting too much pressure on myself ... to get a game or perform really well and earn the respect of my teammates."

Averaging 46 with the bat and 28 with the ball across all formats in his first season for Adelaide club Sturt, Spoors is looking to return to Canadian colours later this year, although he concedes the unpredictable scheduling of Associate cricket – which has been hit hard by the pandemic – has made planning difficult.

Having left his partner and family at home in Perth to chase his cricketing dream, he's ultimately hoping his move east may one day yield a return to professional ranks.

Image Id: B8DCBBFEA836472C87A4FEA1C15EB77E Image Caption: Spoors batting for Waneroo in WA Premier Cricket // WACA

"I wouldn't have moved over here if I didn't think I had the skills or opportunity to do so," he says.

"As long as I keep performing and keep putting runs on the board and taking wickets, I don't see why not. Whether that's next season or the year after or not at all, I'm just going to keep trying.

"I just want to play cricket and make a living and have a career and be successful. That's the end goal."