Tom Cooper (cricketer)

Tom Cooper
Cooper with the South Australian cricket team in 2011.
Personal information
Full name
Tom Lexley William Cooper
Born (1986-11-26) 26 November 1986
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
NicknameCoops
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off-break
RoleMiddle-order batsman
RelationsBen Cooper (brother)
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 44)15 June 2010 v Scotland
Last ODI2 April 2023 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.26
T20I debut (cap 21)13 March 2012 v Canada
Last T20I6 November 2022 v South Africa
T20I shirt no.26
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2008/09–2020/21South Australia
2011/12Adelaide Strikers
2012/13–2019/20Melbourne Renegades
2015Somerset
2018St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
2020/21–2021/22Brisbane Heat (squad no. 26)
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA
Matches 32 33 109 169
Runs scored 1,319 659 6,533 5,848
Batting average 45.48 23.53 34.93 40.89
100s/50s 1/12 0/3 13/34 10/38
Top score 101 81* 271* 139
Balls bowled 649 114 2,098 1,200
Wickets 14 3 25 26
Bowling average 36.85 48.33 50.64 40.69
5 wickets in innings 0 0 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 3/11 2/18 5/76 3/11
Catches/stumpings 17/– 12/– 117/– 93/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 21 October 2024

Tom Lexley William Cooper (born 26 November 1986) is an Australian–Dutch former cricketer who represented the Netherlands in international cricket from 2010 to 2023. He also played for South Australia in Australian domestic cricket, as well as for the Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, and Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

Cooper played his junior cricket in New South Wales, but after his youth career he moved to Adelaide and played domestic cricket for South Australia. In 2009, Cooper discovered he was eligible to play for the Netherlands national cricket team due to his Dutch passport, and he later represented the country in international cricket for over a decade, playing in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and two Twenty20 World Cups in 2014 and 2016.

Cooper's life and career were greatly affected by the death of friend and teammate Phillip Hughes. Cooper was Hughes' batting partner when Hughes was struck by a cricket ball during a match on 25 November 2015, leading to his death two days later. Cooper's career faltered for some time after the tragedy.

Cooper's domestic cricket career in Australia ended after his final season with South Australia in 2020–21 and his final season in the Big Bash League in 2021–22. He then returned to the Dutch national team after a six-year hiatus and played in the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup in Australia. He played his final international match for the Netherlands in 2023.