Resurgent Tigers secure future with key extensions

Tasmania have locked away men's domestic cricket's most influential player with Beau Webster signing a two-year extension that will keep him at the state until at least the end of the 2026-27 season.

Webster compiled the best all-round Marsh Sheffield Shield season in 60 years last summer to lead the Tigers to the final where they went down to three-time reigning champions Western Australia.

The 30-year-old's stunning few years has him on the cusp of a national call-up after representing a strong Prime Minister's XI against Pakistan in December.

The hard-hitting allrounder also heads to England later this month where he will play for Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast and two County Championship matches in June.

Tasmania announced their 24-player contract list for the 2024-25 season this morning with Webster joining seven teammates in committing to the Tigers long-term.

Tasmania men’s 2024-25 contract list: Gabe Bell, Iain Carlisle, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliot, Nathan Ellis*, Jarrod Freeman, Bradley Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, Mac Wright. Rookies: Nick Davis, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Aidan O’Connor, Rafael MacMillan

 

Ins: Matt Kuhnemann (Queensland), Will Prestwidge (Queensland), Kieran Elliot, Rafael Macmillan (NSW)

 

Outs: Sam Rainbird (retired), Matthew Wade (retired), Paddy Dooley (delisted)

 

* Denotes Cricket Australia contract

Wicketkeeper Jake Doran and allrounder Brad Hope have both re-signed for three years, while towering fast bowler Billy Stanlake – who made his long-awaited first-class return in February – has joined the previously announced Charlie Wakim and rookie Aiden O'Connor with new two-year deals.

Batters Tim Ward and Mac Wright have also signed contract extensions that will keep them at the Tigers until at least the end of the 2026-27 and 2025-26 seasons respectively.

It comes after Tasmania earlier announced the new signings of Test-capped spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, quicks Will Prestwidge and Kieran Elliott, and emerging under-19 World Cup-winning offie Raf MacMillan.

With Kuhnemann inking a three-year deal and MacMillan a two-year rookie contract, it means at least 13 of the current list are secured beyond the end of next season after captain Jordan Silk and Caleb Jewell signed three-year extensions last year.

Australia T20 World Cup squad member Nathan Ellis had also previously committed to the Tigers long-term before being awarded a Cricket Australia central contract for the first time in March.

"We took a massive step forward as a program last year with some big changes to our squad, and we rewarded players who stepped up for us and showed us what it means to play cricket for Tasmania," head coach Jeff Vaughan said.

"While we did see some success on the field, there are still many facets of the game that we can look to improve upon, and we are confident the quality of players we are bringing into our squad will help us go to the next level as we look to bring more success to Tasmania."

Helping drive the Tigers up the Shield standings last season (after a fifth-place finish in 2022-23) was the sensational form of Webster, who became just the second player in the competition's history after West Indies great Garry Sobers to score more than 900 runs and take 30 wickets in a season.

Breakout Hobart Hurricanes spinner Paddy Dooley has lost his Tasmanian contract after just one season on the list despite playing all seven Marsh One-Day Cup matches and finishing as the Tigers' equal leading wicket-taker with nine. Dooley remains contracted to the Hobart Hurricanes for next summer.

Also departing the Tigers' list are the retired Sam Rainbird and Australia T20 gloveman Matthew Wade, who announced his red-ball retirement after the Shield final.

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