By Marcus Uhe
As the Adelaide Strikers mowed-down their target of 162 against the Sydney Sixers in their Monday Big Bash League fixture, social media was ablaze: who is Ian Cockbain?
The left-hander from Gloucestershire in the UK smashed 71 not out from 42 deliveries with five fours and four sixes after coming to the crease at 1-45 late in the fourth over, steering the Strikers to a dominant eight-wicket win and earning man-of-the-match honours.
While the wider cricket community may have been unaware of his talents, grassroots circles in Melbourne have grown accustom to the Englishman, who made a habit of spending his English winters in Australia playing cricket as an overseas pro for a number of Melbourne cricket clubs, including Buckley Ridges in the Dandenong District Cricket Association and Langwarrin in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association.
On Friday 14 January he added another club to that list, but this time found himself in the middle of the Adelaide Oval batting at three for the Strikers.
And he has made his presence felt – his new club is three wins from three matches since he joined the squad and he’s averaging 123 with the bat, with a handy strike-rate of 148.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind to be honest,” he said.
Cockbain was holidaying in Adelaide with his wife Amy and son Leo when good friend and Strikers teammate Daniel Worrall informed him he had suggested Cockburn as a potential call-up as the squad battled Covid-19 and surrendered players to international duty.
The 34-year-old has earned a reputation over the last decade as a dashing middle-order batsman in English County Cricket and was an inaugural member of the Welsh Fire in the first edition of the Hundred competition in 2021.
“Things sort of fell into place and then I got a phone call a couple of days later to say that I was going to be joining the squad,” Cockbain said.
He flew back to Melbourne to meet with the Strikers who were in town to play the Melbourne Stars, before following them to Queensland for their game against the Brisbane Heat on Wednesday 12 January.
Facing a crunch period of three games in four days, head coach Jason Gillespie and Strikers management moved quickly to sign Cockbain following their big win against the Heat in order to have him ready for the clash against Perth, as they battled for the Jason Gillespie Trophy.
Cockbain inked his contract on Thursday 13 January before donning the blue for the first time the following morning to face the Scorchers.
Chasing 128, he came to the crease at 1/22 with a mandate to provide stability and control the middle overs.
While wickets fell around him, an issue that had plagued the Strikers and was cited as a reason for Cockbain’s recruitment, he kept his head to finish with 35 not out from 24 deliveries, hitting the winning runs with a glorious inside-out cover drive over the infield for four.
The setting provided an element of serendipity for Cockbain; his wife is from the City of Churches and he has played club cricket for East Torrens District Cricket Club in Adelaide’s west.
“I was joking with the lads that Adelaide’s been a bit of a home away from home,” Cockbain said.
“I’ve had three seasons here before and Adelaide’s always going to hold a special place in my heart with my wife being from here.
“To be straight out there and be there at the end, to see the lads home, was awesome.”
The next day he backed it up with a run-a-ball 17 against the Melbourne Stars, where he went toe-to-toe with former East Torrens teammate and Australian leg spinner Adam Zampa, a key member of Australia’s recent T20 World Cup winning squad.
He was frustrated to go out in the manner he did, stumped coming down the wicket and not picking the wrong-un as it went past his outside edge, but it mattered little as the Strikers claimed a 23-run victory.
In turning-out for the Strikers, Cockbain was forced to temporarily forgo his commitments to Langwarrin, missing their clash with Sorrento last weekend.
And having been signed for the remainder of the Big Bash season, his availability for the upcoming fixtures against Baden Powell and Long Island is in jeopardy.
He said it wasn’t an easy phone call to have with his coach, Matt Prosser, but they were thrilled to see him selected for higher honours.
“Everyone at the club has been super happy for me to pick-up the gig at the Strikers and they’re all behind me,” Cockbain said.
“They couldn’t have been more accommodating for my wife and my little boy too, they’ve looked after us so well.”
This is Cockbain’s first season at Langwarrin having made the move from Buckley Ridges in the offseason.
He enjoyed a fine 2020/21 season for Buckley Ridges, averaging 42 from seven innings with a highest score of 95 not out against Springvale South, and placed in the top 20 of voting for the Alan Wookey Medal, awarded to the player who received the most umpires votes throughout the season.
Monday’s win against the Sixers secured another finals birth for the Strikers, however their final ladder position will be determined by the results of remaining fixtures on Wednesday.
