AUS vs AFG | Twitter lauds Spencer’s street-smart act to enforce runout amidst horrible Afghan mixup
A calm and composed mind always helps an individual get the edge in any kind of contest. It seemed to be Spencer Johnson’s day right from the start of the tenth match of the 2025 Champions Trophy between Afghanistan and Australia, with the pacer enforcing a smart runout after a couple of scalps.
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International career
Spencer Johnson started playing international cricket in 2023. At first, he was going to represent Italy, but he joined the Australian team instead. His left-arm bowling brought important breakthroughs, and he quickly became part of Australia's T20I squad.
- March 2023 – Selected for the Australia A squad for a tour of New Zealand before the Ashes. Took 4/53 in the first innings of the first match in Lincoln.
- July 2023 – Planned to play for Italy in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.
- August 2023 – Named in Australia's squad for the T20I series against South Africa. Played his first match and took 2/33 in a 111-run victory.
- February 2024 – Included in Australia's squad for the T20I series against West Indies. Took 2/39 in the second match.
- November 16, 2024 – Took his first five-wicket haul in a T20I against Pakistan, finishing with 5/26 in four overs.
Leagues Participation
Spencer Johnson has played in different franchise leagues around the world. His performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League (BBL) have attracted attention. Below is a breakdown of his participation in each competition.
Indian Premier League
Spencer Johnson started playing in the IPL in 2024 when Gujarat Titans included him in their squad. During that season, he played five matches, took four wickets, had a bowling average of 37.75, and maintained an economy rate of 9.44 runs per over. His best bowling performance was 2/25.
Before the IPL 2025 season, Gujarat Titans decided not to retain him. Kolkata Knight Riders bought him at the auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for ₹2.8 crore. His base price was ₹2 crore.
Johnson is expected to handle powerplay and death overs for KKR. His left-arm pace brings variation to the bowling attack.
|
Season
|
Team
|
Matches
|
Wickets
|
Best Figures
|
Economy Rate
|
|
2024
|
Gujarat Titans
|
5
|
4
|
2/25
|
9.44
|
|
2025
|
Kolkata Knight Riders
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Big Bash League
Johnson was named in the Adelaide Strikers squad for the 2020-21 season but did not play. His BBL debut happened in the 2022-23 season with Brisbane Heat on January 11, 2023. He played ten matches, including the final, and built a reputation as a reliable bowler in the last overs of an innings.
During the 2023-24 season, Johnson played a key role in Brisbane Heat's title win. He appeared in ten matches, took 15 wickets, and was named Player of the Match in the final.
In the 2024-25 BBL season, Johnson continues to play for Brisbane Heat. One of his best performances this season was in the 25th match against Sydney Thunder at the Gabba. He took a crucial wicket by dismissing Sydney Thunder’s captain, David Warner.
|
Season
|
Team
|
Matches
|
Wickets
|
Best Figures
|
|
2020-21
|
Adelaide Strikers
|
0
|
0
|
-
|
|
2022-23
|
Brisbane Heat
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
|
2023-24
|
Brisbane Heat
|
10
|
15
|
-
|
|
2024-25
|
Brisbane Heat
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Domestic career
Spencer Johnson played his first List A match on 12 October 2017 in the JLT One-Day Cup for South Australia. He bowled 10 overs, took one wicket for 72 runs, and did not bat. South Australia won the match by 11 runs.
Before the 2020/21 season, South Australia removed him from the squad. However, strong performances in Premier Cricket helped him make a return for the Marsh One-Day Cup.
His first-class debut happened on 20 February 2023 against Victoria. He took 6/87 in that match, and in his next game against Queensland, he improved his figures to 7/47.
On 10 August 2023, he played his first match for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred. His debut performance was impressive as he took three wickets and conceded only one run in 20 balls against Manchester Originals.
In August 2024, Johnson had to withdraw from the UK tour due to an injury. He sustained the injury while playing for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.
Records and achievements
Spencer Johnson has set several important records in his career. Here are his key achievements:
- November 2024: In a T20 match between Australia and Pakistan, Johnson took 5 wickets for 26 runs. This broke James Faulkner’s record of 5/27, set in 2016.
- August 2023: In his first match for the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred, Johnson bowled 20 balls for just 1 run, setting the record for the most economical spell in the tournament’s history.
- August 2023: In the same match, Johnson took three wickets in the second half without conceding any runs. This broke the previous record of six runs by Mujib ur Rahman for the fewest runs in a 20-ball spell.
- January 2024: Johnson received the Big Bash League Player of the Match award after Brisbane's victory over the Sydney Sixers in the final.
Personal life
Spencer's father is Jerauld Johnson, and his mother is Madeline Sankey. Further details about his parents will be shared when available.
On August 28, 2024, Spencer announced his engagement to his long-time girlfriend, Sarah Petherick. The couple has been together for several years and regularly attends events, such as the Cricket Australia Awards ceremony.
Finance
Spencer Johnson's net worth is around 10 Crore. This figure includes his earnings from cricket and endorsements. His financial success comes from his performances on the field as well as various deals with brands.
Cars and House
In January 2025, Spencer bought a house in Queensland. The property is located in the family-friendly suburb of Clayfield. The house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a swimming pool. The couple paid about $2.2 million for it.
Scandals
In August 2024, news broke that Spencer Johnson had to withdraw from the UK tour due to an injury. He suffered the injury while playing for The Oval Invincibles in The Hundred tournament. This event caused quite a stir in the cricket community.
Fans
In 2024, Spencer received a unique award for winning the Big Bash League final. The award was a medal shaped like a bucket of chicken from KFC. Many fans criticized the award, calling it "disgusting", "shameful", and "the stupidest ever". However, others found humor in it.
During the same ceremony, Spencer also donated to the KFC Youth Foundation.
He has nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram.
