Who Knew a Broken Arm Would Be the Best Thing for My Batting?

On August 16, Brayden Speechley's cricket season was thrown into doubt before it had even begun.

While playing football in Melbourne, an opposition player attempted to kick the ball off the ground but connected with Speechley's arm instead, snapping it and ruling him out of Eastern Hill's entire cricket preseason and the opening four matches of the 2025/26 season.

Speechley eventually returned against Diggers Rest in B Grade, but his arm was not yet ready to withstand batting. Instead, he made his return with the ball, sending down eight overs of leg-spin and taking 2/29.

The following match brought his first innings of the season. Batting at number eight, Speechley made a valuable 17 from 20 balls in the closing overs before taking 3/22 from 7.4 overs.

An established A Grade player, Speechley had already won an SDCA A Grade premiership and received the best-on-ground medal for his performance in that grand final. However, with Eastern Hill's A Grade side undefeated and its team settled, opportunities to return to the top side were difficult to find.

Speechley instead turned his unexpected B Grade stint into one of the most remarkable individual seasons in recent club history.

The broken arm had forced him to make a subtle change to his technique. He began relying less on his top hand and became more bottom-hand dominant and attacking at the crease—and the results followed.

“Who knew a broken arm would be the best thing for my batting?”

— Brayden Speechley

Remarkably, he did not have a single batting net session throughout the season. Speechley attended training and faced a few throwdowns before sessions, but with his new approach producing runs each weekend, he was reluctant to change anything that was working on matchday.

His breakout innings came against Lancefield, where he struck an unbeaten 103 from 107 balls, including 17 fours and a six. Upon reaching his century, Speechley marked the moment by pointing to the arm that had threatened to derail his season only months earlier.

It would not be his final century of the campaign.

Speechley later blasted an unbeaten 100 from just 74 deliveries against Sunbury Kangaroos, hitting 11 fours and two sixes. He also produced a patient 93 from 128 balls, narrowly missing what would have been a third century.

Despite missing the first four rounds, Speechley finished the season with 482 runs from 11 innings at an outstanding average of 60.25. His two centuries, one half-century and remarkable consistency earned him the league's B Grade batting award.

He also remained an important contributor with his leg-spin, taking 16 wickets at an average of 18.06, with best figures of 3/22.

Speechley's comeback season received its perfect ending in the B Grade grand final. He contributed 33 as Eastern Hill secured the premiership, sharing the achievement with his brother Josh Speechley and cousin Pete Speechley.

From a broken arm and a completely missed preseason to two unbeaten centuries, a league batting award and a premiership, Speechley turned what appeared destined to be a lost season into one he will never forget.

As it turned out, the injury that almost ended his campaign may have been the very thing that transformed it.