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Cooper Connolly Records Australia’s Best ODI Figures As Spinner; Check Top 5

Aakash Saini

Best figures by Australia spinners in ODIs [Source: @Chefkat23, @cricketcomau/x]Best figures by Australia spinners in ODIs [Source: @Chefkat23, @cricketcomau/x]

Cooper Connolly decimated South Africa’s batting line-up in the third ODI match at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Playing just the fifth ODI of his career, the batting all-rounder dismissed well-set batters like Tony de Zorzi and Dewald Brevis to set the tone of Australia’s record 276-run win margin.

Apart from becoming the youngest Australian cricketer in history to scalp a five-wicket haul in ODIs, Connolly also registered one of the best ODI figures by any spin bowler from his country. Celebrating Cooper Connolly’s meteoric rise in international cricket, here is a look at five of the best bowling performances by Australian spinners in ODIs.

5. Adam Zampa 5-35 vs New Zealand, 2022

Ace Australian spinner Adam Zampa devoured New Zealand in match number two of the three-match ODI series back in September 2022. Defending just 196 runs for a win in a 50-overs game at the Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns, Zampa snared exceptional match-winning figures of 5-35 from his nine overs to envelop New Zealand for just 82 in 33 overs. The cricketer picked up the important wickets of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell before mopping up the visitor’s tail to catalyze Australia’s series-clinching 113-run win.

4. Michael Clarke 5-35 vs Sri Lanka, 2004

In just his second year in international cricket, then batting prodigy and future Australian captain Michael Clarke displayed his wares with the ball against Sri Lanka. In the second ODI of the five-match series back in February 2004, he dismissed Sri Lankan heavyweights like Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold on his way to claiming figures of 5-35 in 7.5 overs. Unfortunately for Michael Clarke, Australia failed to chase down Sri Lanka’s 245 as they fell just one run short of their target.

3. Shane Warne 5-33 vs West Indies, 1996

Shane Warne, an accumulator of over a thousand wickets in international cricket, picked up just one five-wicket haul in his entire 12-year ODI career. Warne’s lone ODI five-fer occurred against the West Indies team back in December 1996 during match number two of the Carlton & United tri-series at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. Warne picked up his career-best ODI figures of 5-33 in 9.3 overs as Australia dismantled the entire West Indies line-up for just 161, paving way for his team’s comprehensive eight-wicket win in 42 overs in the game.

2. Brad Hogg 5-32 vs West Indies, 2005

Champion Australia spinner Brad Hogg wrecked West Indies’ middle order in the opening match of the 2005 VB tri-series at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Defending 302 runs, Hogg deceived then West Indies captain and in-form batter Brian Lara, as well as Shivnarine Chanderpaul. The ace spinner also got the better of Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo to seal figures of 5-32 in 10 overs, his magnum opus performance in ODI cricket.

In a game where Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn plundered majestic half-centuries, Brad Hogg bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his efforts.

1. Cooper Connolly 5-22 vs South Africa, 2025

Batting all-rounder Cooper Connolly, playing just his fifth ODI match at the age of 22, bamboozled South African batters in the third ODI of the three-match series in August 2025 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. The cricketer packed half of South African side to script one of Australia’s greatest win margins in ODIs, that of 276 runs as the hosts successfully avoided a series whitewash at home.

Connolly dismissed Tony de Zorzi and attacking middle-order batter Dewald Brevis, as well as Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj to claim figures of 5-22, the best among all Australian spinners in ODI history.