Big Bash League: West Coast young gun Harley Reid and Perth Scorchers star Cooper Connolly team up in orange

They are the two princes of Perth - and now, Cooper Connolly and Harley Reid are finally teaming up. The West Australian can reveal Reid will be the first celebrity bowler of this year’s Big Bash League, with Connolly’s Perth Scorchers hosting the season opener at Optus Stadium on Sunday. Reid, alongside West Coast teammate Tom McCarthy, will be out in the middle pre-game before the Scorchers take on arch-rivals Sydney Sixers to kick off the tournament. The 20-year-old donned the famous orange, posing alongside Connolly as the rising stars of Australian cricket and the AFL paired up for the first time. Reid became a household name before he had even played a game after landing at the Eagles with the No.1 selection in the 2023 draft, following unprecedented hype in the lead-up. In his first season, the then-teenager lived up to the lofty expectations to have a stellar debut campaign, claiming the AFL Players’ Association’s Best First Year Player award and winning Goal of the Year. Connolly burst on the scene in similar fashion with a championship-winning knock in the 2023 Big Bash League final, becoming an instant cult hero at the Scorchers. The 22-year-old all-rounder backed up his incredible knock with a brilliant campaign last summer, named the Player of the Tournament in February. That continued a meteoric rise, making his Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year and receiving a coveted baggy green in the process. And he’s set to play a massive role in this year’s Big Bash, as the Scorchers hope to re-gain their status as a BBL powerhouse.