Menu

Ben Cutting

Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars T20 15
Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars T20 15 Image: Wikimedia Commons. Haley Jackson / CC BY 2.0

Benjamin Colin James Cutting (born 30 January 1987) is an Australian cricketer who plays as an all-rounder. He represented Australia in one-day international and Twenty20 international cricket, and played first-class cricket for Queensland between 2007 and 2018 before transitioning into a career as a Twenty20 franchise specialist.

Key facts

Full name Benjamin Colin James Cutting
Date of birth 30 January 1987
Nationality Australian
Role All-rounder
Domestic team (first-class) Queensland (2007–2018)
International formats One Day International, Twenty20 International
Junior international 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, Sri Lanka
Most recent franchise New York Lions, USA National Cricket League

Background

Cutting emerged through the Australian junior cricket pathway and was part of the Australia squad at the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, hosted in Sri Lanka. As an all-rounder, he combined right-arm fast-medium bowling with hard-hitting lower-order batting, a skill set that later defined his suitability for the Twenty20 format.

Career

Domestic cricket in Australia

Cutting made his first-class debut for Queensland in 2007 and remained associated with the state side in the longer format until 2018. During this period he was a regular contributor in the Sheffield Shield and other Australian domestic competitions.

International cricket

Cutting earned selection for Australia in the limited-overs formats, appearing in both One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.

Transition to Twenty20 franchise cricket

In 2018, Cutting opted to step away from first-class cricket to focus exclusively on white-ball cricket in the global Twenty20 franchise circuit, which by then had developed into a worldwide ecosystem of leagues. His most recent reported engagement was with the New York Lions in the USA National Cricket League.

Significance

Cutting's career reflects a broader trend in modern cricket whereby established first-class players, particularly all-rounders with white-ball utility, have moved away from traditional state and national contracts to pursue careers across multiple Twenty20 franchise leagues around the world.

References