Riley Meredith

The speed gun does not lie, and when Riley Meredith charges in and lets the ball go, the numbers flash above 150 km/h with a regularity that makes batsmen reconsider their life choices. The Tasmanian right-armer is one of the fastest bowlers in Australian domestic cricket, a raw, aggressive paceman whose steep bounce from a good length turns routine deliveries into events. He is a crowd favourite at the Hobart Hurricanes for the simplest of reasons — watching him bowl is viscerally thrilling, the kind of fast bowling that makes spectators lean forward in their seats and batsmen lean backward at theirs.

Injuries have punctuated Meredith’s career in the way that rain interrupts a Hobart afternoon — frustratingly, repeatedly, and with terrible timing. His international opportunities have been limited by the body’s inability to keep pace with the talent, but in the Big Bash, his performances have been consistently impactful. Raw speed alone creates opportunities that other bowlers cannot manufacture, and when Meredith marries that pace with accuracy and smart variations, he transforms from a quick bowler into one of the most potent weapons in the entire competition.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Meredith enters 2026 at thirty years of age, firmly in his prime and determined to build on his reputation as one of the Big Bash’s quickest bowlers. Through 80 matches and 90 wickets for the Hurricanes, the talent has never been in question — only the durability. A sustained injury-free run could see him challenge for international selection in a competitive Australian pace attack, and he remains the Hobart Hurricanes’ primary strike bowler, the man the crowd comes to watch when the lights go on and the speed gun is switched on.

EC — Senior features writer, australiafootball.com