Beau Webster, Tasmania's talisman: 'I'm absolutely ready for the next level'

Whenever doubt creeps in, like reconsidering whether to counterattack on a grassy Bellerive Oval surface, Beau Webster has advice from a mentor ringing in his ears.

"Get them [the bowlers] before they get you," experienced Tasmania team-mate Matthew Wade once told him. It's words of wisdom that have helped unlock Webster's aggressive batting in Tasmania's middle-order as he continues to elevate his standing amid Australia's sudden stock of seam-bowling allrounders.

At almost 6 foot 8 he's slightly taller than Cameron Green - they compared heights recently - and he has a better first-class batting average than Mitchell Marsh.

Webster was the standout performer during the Sheffield Shield's home-and-away season after scoring 914 runs and taking 26 wickets at 28.46. Only Norman O'Neill, Sir Garfield Sobers, and Tom Moody have scored 900 runs and taken 25 wickets in a season as Webster has become the talisman for Tasmania, who will play Western Australia in the final starting on March 21 at the WACA.

Much like Marsh, Webster, 30, has rejuvenated his career through a fearless approach at the crease and backing his power-hitting. Making No. 6 his own, Webster is the Shield's leading run-scorer and averages 65.28 with three hundreds. His strike-rate of 57.48 is made more impressive by his home ground of Bellerive Oval generally sporting a notably green surface and being particularly difficult to bat on during the opening two days of matches.

"That positive mindset and the line of 'get them before they get you' has really stuck with me," Webster told ESPNcricinfo. "If I'm going through a tough patch, the first thing that comes into my mind is how can I get more balls that I can score off... and that's by putting pressure back on.

"Having the backing of the playing group and coaches is massive because you do look a bit silly when you play a big shot and get out on a green seamer."

From the small town of Snug, with a population of around 1500 in Tasmania's south, Webster made his way into the state squad at 18 before making his first-class debut in early 2014. He mainly batted in the top four and he bowled offspin due to having to mostly forego seam bowling because of back issues.

Players with 900 runs and 25 wickets in a Sheffield Shield season:
Norman O'Neill, 1957-58 (1005/26)
Garry Sobers, 1963-64 (973/47)
Tom Moody, 1994-95 (900/26)
Beau Webster, 2023-24 (914/26)

— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) March 15, 2024

Webster showed enough potential that in late 2016, a few months before turning 23, he was selected for Australia A against India A in a two-match red-ball series in Brisbane.

He thwarted an attack that boasted Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya in a key half-century partnership with Cameron Bancroft to navigate a tricky 159-run target after a deluge spiced up the surface at Allan Border Field.

"I got selected off a couple of hundreds at No. 3 in my first 10 [Shield] games," Webster said. "I definitely got some experience from it [Australia A], but the game has changed a lot since then."

Webster then fell off the national radar after middling results in the top-order, while his spin was effectively part-time. "I don't think my defence is the best part of my game, so ultimately I was pretty inconsistent batting in the top order," he said.

His career received an unexpected jolt in early 2020 during a home Shield match against Western Australia. With Green and Sam Whiteman looking impregnable, Tasmania captain Tim Paine was desperate for a wicket and looked beyond his frontline pace attack.

He overlooked Webster and instead threw the ball to diminutive batter-wicketkeeper Jake Doran, who was five years into his first-class career but had never bowled at that level before. His innocuous left-arm seamers appeared unconvincing until he nicked off Whiteman with his fifth ball in a dismissal that left an impression on Webster, who was finally given a go only to leak 22 runs off three overs with his spin.

"When I saw what [Doran] did I felt like I could have made an impact if I was bowling seam," Webster said. "The offies were more to give a chop out for a few overs, but I wasn't really used for the purpose of getting wickets."

Having not long before shifted down to No. 7, with Tasmania's brains trust wanting to unleash his attacking batting lower in the order, Webster then smashed a typically strong WA pace attack for 187 from as many balls before blasting them over the line in run chase of 235 with an unbeaten 29 from 18 balls.

It foreshadowed the future for Webster, who had found the right role. "We needed an allrounder, so batting at No. 7 worked for me and I decided I wanted to seriously take up seam," he said.

Webster excitedly told his then coach Adam Griffith, a former quick, of his plans. "If we're going to do it, we're going to do it properly and start from scratch and get your action sorted," Griffith told him.

The Covid-19 shutdowns happened not long after with the final stages of the 2019-20 Shield season cancelled. Isolation and boredom was then experienced for many around the world, but Webster decided to use his time wisely and learn the craft of seam bowling.

Firstly he hit the gym hard and got physically stronger before picking the brain of experienced seamer and then team-mate Jackson Bird, who played the last of his nine Tests during the Ashes in 2017-18.

"Your strength is moving the ball across the left-hander. Don't try and shape down the line too much and don't overdo things early," Bird told him. "Just get to a position where it's about getting the confidence to hit a length consistently."

Webster had modest success initially in his new role but stuck to his guns and has moulded into a formidable allrounder. He's averaged 53.46 with the bat in the last three seasons to lift his first-class mark to 36.44, while this season he has emerged as a genuine wicket-taking option, using his towering height to impressive effect.

Webster has rekindled the interest of the national hierarchy and was selected in a strong Prime Minister's XI team against Pakistan in December. With Green and Marsh cemented in Australia's Test team, and Aaron Hardie being groomed through the shorter formats, international opportunities might not be forthcoming but those around him know Webster's ready for the next level.

"If someone like Marsh got injured, he would have to be the next player in. He'll be pushing for that. He's been huge," Wade said last week.

During the Prime Minister's XI match, Webster had conversations with national chief selector George Bailey, his former Shield captain. "It was nice recognition to be selected. That team was a genuine Australia A team," he said. "I think I'm absolutely ready for the next level. But I have to stay in-form and help win games for Tassie."

Webster showed off his match-winning abilities in a pivotal late season match against Victoria when he smashed an unbeaten 167 off 180 balls under pressure and combined with Riley Meredith for a 153-run final-wicket stand. It was the biggest tenth-wicket partnership in Tasmania's first-class history and proved the difference in a 57-run victory that sealed them a spot in their first final since 2017-18.

Webster's explosive performance laced with a succession of mighty blows to the boundary had shades of what Green did alongside Josh Hazlewood against New Zealand in Wellington. "Bellerive is a high boundary ground, so you can get on a roll. It was a helluva lot of fun," Webster said.

It's the type of belligerent knock that might catch the attention of T20 leagues around the world with Webster eyeing opportunities on the franchise circuit.

Last year Webster had a county stint with Essex in the 50-over competition and he also played in the inaugural season of Zimbabwe's T10 league. For the upcoming off-season he's locked in a gig with Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast and two County Championship matches against Yorkshire and Glamorgan in June.

"It's my first taste of T20 franchise cricket overseas," says Webster, who has been a solid performer in recent BBL seasons for Melbourne Stars. "I want to play as much as I can and hopefully it opens some doors. I want to throw everything at the Blast. There will be a lot of eyes watching."

Amongst those watching might be IPL powerbrokers. "I think the IPL is a bit of a lottery. A lot of good players miss out," Webster said. "That's not really on my radar, but the other big leagues are."

Before all of that, Webster will be hoping to finish the domestic season with the ultimate success of a Shield title. When Tasmania last won in 2012-13, Webster was a wide-eyed youngster coming through the ranks as he watched Bailey and Ricky Ponting inspire Tasmania to their third title.

"I was nowhere near getting into the team back then, barely getting a game for Tasmania in the second XI," Webster laughed. "When we won, the whole state almost stopped. It was a magical feeling, I've really strived to be able to experience that feeling again. It would be really special for the state."

In their way will be two-time defending champions WA as Tasmania journey to Perth after blowing a chance of a home final with a shock loss to South Australia at Bellerive Oval.

Tasmania will be fuelled by Wade's red-ball swansong, but their chances of an upset seemingly hinge with Webster being able to produce a dynamic allround performance to cap a spectacular season.

"Wadey in the last half of my career has been massive for me, so there is extra motivation to do well for him," he said. "It's going to be a big challenge, but we're going to tackle it head on. We've played some really brave cricket all year and that's what we're going to do in the final."