Matt Gilkes Stats, Height, Net Worth and BBL Career 2026/27: Full Breakdown

By the Cric Info 365 Editorial Team | September 20, 2026

Matt Gilkes is a 27-year-old left-handed wicketkeeper batter who has scored 1,131 runs in 64 BBL matches for the Sydney Thunder at an average of 20.19 and a strike rate of 123.60. He is best known for a 51 off 38 balls on his BBL debut, opening alongside Shane Watson, and for a 2025/26 season that the Thunder’s own coaching staff called his best yet. He is contracted to the club until the end of BBL 17, even though he has just switched his state team from New South Wales to South Australia.

This guide covers his BBL and domestic numbers, his height, what is and is not known about his net worth, the story behind his memorable debut, his 2025/26 breakout, and the surprise move to a new state for 2026/27. Each table comes with an explanation, because a strike rate or an average alone does not show why a club keeps backing a player. Sydney Thunder squad guide for BBL 16

Quick Answer: Matt Gilkes in Six Lines

• BBL career: 64 matches, 1,131 runs at 20.19, strike rate 123.60, 6 fifties, highest score 93.
• Domestic record: 2,051 first-class runs at 26.98 with 19 fifties, and 1,072 List A runs at 29.77.
• Height: About 5 ft 9 in, roughly 175 cm.
• Net worth: No verified estimate exists.
• State cricket: Moved from New South Wales to South Australia for the 2026/27 season.
• 2026/27: Signed with Sydney Thunder until the end of BBL 17, after a two-year extension in January 2026.

Matt Gilkes Biography at a Glance

Detail	Information
Full name	Matthew Robert Gilkes (Matt Gilkes)
Born	21 August 1999, Ulladulla, New South Wales
Age	27
Batting	Left handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium, rarely used
Role	Wicketkeeper batter
Height	About 5 ft 9 in (roughly 175 cm)
Local club	UNSW, originally from Ulladulla United
BBL debut	24 January 2019 v Perth Scorchers
First-class debut	1 November 2019 for New South Wales
International cricket	None to date

Gilkes has never played for Australia. His career has been built entirely in franchise and state cricket, and that makes his BBL numbers the clearest picture of who he is as a player.

Which Teams Has Matt Gilkes Played For?

Team	Competition	Years
Sydney Thunder	BBL	2018/19 to present
New South Wales	Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup	2019/20 to 2025/26
South Australia	Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup	2026/27 to present
UNSW	Grade cricket	Sydney club

There is one club and two states in that list, which is unusual. Most BBL players who switch states also switch BBL franchises, since the systems are closely linked. Gilkes has done the opposite: he has stayed with the Thunder for eight seasons while changing his first-class home for 2026/27.

How Did Matt Gilkes’ Career Start?

Gilkes grew up in Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast and came through the Ulladulla United club before moving to Sydney to play for UNSW. The Sydney Thunder signed him as a rookie wicketkeeper, and his debut, on 24 January 2019 in BBL 08, is still the story most fans remember first.

As Cricket Australia’s profile describes it, Gilkes was called in to open the batting alongside Shane Watson against the Perth Scorchers, and the rookie keeper hit 51 off 38 balls in a big chase in Perth. It was a striking way to begin a BBL career, sharing an opening stand with one of Australia’s most experienced players in only his first match.

He signed his first Thunder contract extension later that year, a three-season deal that Thunder coach Shane Bond, as reported by the Canberra Times, described by calling Gilkes one of the most exciting up-and-coming batters in Australia. That deal came only months after he earned a full-time NSW Blues contract, where he worked under former Test batter Phil Jaques.

His first-class and List A debuts both came in the 2019/20 domestic season, both for New South Wales, giving him three separate debuts in little more than a year: BBL, List A and first-class.

What Do Matt Gilkes’ Domestic Stats Show?

Format	Matches	Runs	Average	Top Score	100s / 50s	Catches / Stumpings
First class	45	2,051	26.98	94	0 / 19	78 / 1
List A	42	1,072	29.77	99	0 / 5	38 / 5

Source: Wikipedia’s Cricinfo sourced career table, current to 19 September 2026.

The most interesting line in that table is 19 first-class fifties without a hundred. Divide 2,051 runs across 45 matches, and you get about 45.6 runs a match, a solid return, but the pattern shows a batter who gets in well but has not yet converted a start into three figures at the highest domestic level. His closest attempt is 94, and 99 in List A cricket, both agonisingly short.

His List A average of 29.77, with five fifties in 42 matches, is a step up from his first-class figure and suggests his one-day game may be slightly ahead of his red ball game at this stage.

What Is Matt Gilkes’ BBL Record?

Stat	Figure	What It Means
Matches	64	Eight seasons, one club
Innings	60	Not outs: 4
Runs	1,131	About 18 runs per match
Average	20.19	56 dismissals
Strike rate	123.60	915 balls faced
Fifties	6	Highest score 93
Hundreds	0	Best chance was 93
Fours and sixes	111 and 33	About 55 percent of runs in boundaries
Catches	23
Stumpings	1	24 total dismissals

Numbers from ESPNcricinfo, current through BBL 15.

The strike rate of 123.60 is not among the league’s fastest, and it explains why Gilkes has often batted lower in the order rather than as a settled opener, despite his eye-catching debut. But look at the boundary share: about 55 percent of his runs come in fours and sixes, which is the profile of a batter who scores in bursts rather than steadily rotating strike.

His glovework has taken a back seat to his batting reputation. 24 dismissals in 64 matches, about 0.38 a game, is modest for a specialist keeper, and it reflects that Thunder have used other options behind the stumps at times during his career. Sydney Thunder squad guide for BBL 16

What Happened in Matt Gilkes’ Best BBL Season?

The 2025/26 season, BBL 15, was Matt Gilkes’ career best. According to Cricket NSW’s Ulladulla Times coverage, he scored 232 runs at a strike rate of 155.7, his highest return since the league moved to its current season length format.

The highlight was a Player of the Match performance against the Brisbane Heat in Canberra, where he made 76 runs in a 127-run opening partnership with Sam Konstas. That is a significant number on its own: a 127-run stand is a big platform in any T20 innings, and doing it with a teenage prodigy like Konstas at the other end says something about the trust Thunder placed in the pairing.

Thunder’s general manager, Trent Copeland, called it by far Gilkes’ best season in the BBL and said he showed he could be one of the most damaging white ball players with the bat. That is a significant statement from a club that has watched him for eight years, and it is the clearest evidence yet that his ceiling as a batter may be higher than his career average of 20.19 suggests.

Why Did Sydney Thunder Commit to Gilkes Long Term?

On the back of that season, Matt Gilkes signed a two-year extension in January 2026, keeping him at the Thunder until the end of BBL 17. As the club’s own announcement, reported by Sydney Thunder, put it, that milestone will mark a decade at the club when it is reached.

Gilkes’ own words on the deal were telling. He said the Thunder have been a massive part of his playing career for the last seven years, and that most of the players are now his best mates. That kind of loyalty is unusual in modern franchise cricket, where players often move between clubs chasing bigger roles or better money. Gilkes has stayed put through a career high and several quieter seasons alike. Sam Konstas stats and Sydney Thunder BBL career

Why Did Gilkes Move to South Australia?

This is the most unusual story in his 2026/27 season. Wikipedia’s profile confirms that Matt Gilkes left New South Wales to join South Australia ahead of the 2026/27 domestic season, ending a run with the Blues that began in 2019/20. No detailed reasons have been reported, so we will not speculate on them.

What makes this move notable is that his BBL career has not followed. He remains contracted to the Sydney Thunder, a New South Wales-based BBL club, while his first-class and List A cricket will now be played for South Australia. That split, playing state cricket in one part of the country and BBL cricket in another, is uncommon, though not unheard of in Australian domestic cricket. South Australia Redbacks squad and Sheffield Shield 2026/27

How Tall Is Matt Gilkes?

Reports of Matt Gilkes’ height vary. One profile lists him at 5 ft 9 in, roughly 175 cm, while Cricket Australia, ESPNcricinfo and Wikipedia do not publish an official figure. Treat the 5 ft 9 in figure as an approximate guide rather than a confirmed measurement.

Does it matter for a wicketkeeper batter? Only a little. His game is built on quick hands and an aggressive approach with the bat, not on physical size, and his 55 percent boundary share in the BBL shows where his value actually comes from.

What Is Matt Gilkes’ Net Worth?

There is no verified public estimate of Matt Gilkes’ net worth. One low-quality site, Mabumbe, suggests around US$2 million, but it explicitly states that specific details about his net worth are not publicly disclosed, which is an honest admission that the figure is a guess rather than a sourced number.

Here is what can be confirmed about his income sources:

• Sydney Thunder: Contracted until the end of BBL 17, following a three year deal signed in 2020 and a two year extension in January 2026.
• New South Wales, and now South Australia: State contracts across his domestic career, with a move between the two ahead of 2026/27.
• No international or IPL income: He has not played for Australia or featured in any overseas T20 league.

The honest summary is a mid-career domestic wicketkeeper on standard state and BBL contracts, not a player with major global earnings. If you see a specific figure online, check what the source says about where it comes from.

What Should Fans Expect From Gilkes in BBL 16?

Matt Gilkes is contracted to the Sydney Thunder until the end of BBL 17, so 2026/27 is the first of two guaranteed seasons under his new deal. The Sportstralia squad list shows him alongside David Warner, Sam Billings, Chris Green and Sam Konstas in the contracted group. David Warner stats and Sydney Thunder captaincy

The question after a career-best season is if it was a breakthrough or a peak. Here is a simple projection using two scenarios: his career rate of about 17.7 runs a match, and his 2025/26 rate of about 23.2 runs a match across 10 matches. It is arithmetic, not a forecast.

Matches Played	Runs at Career Rate	Runs at 2025/26 Rate
8	142	186
10	177	232
12	212	278

If he repeats his BBL 15 form, he could add well over 200 runs in a season and push his career average up meaningfully. If he reverts to his long term rate, the season looks more like a typical year for him. Either way, he needs 469 more runs to reach 1,600 career BBL runs.

Three things to watch:

1. Batting position. His best moments have come opening the innings, in the mould of his debut and his Konstas partnership.
2. Competition for the gloves. With Warner, Billings and others in the squad, his keeping role may vary.
3. The state move. Adjusting to a new Sheffield Shield environment in South Australia could affect his form heading into the BBL. BBL 2026/27 fixtures, squads and schedule

How Can Fans Follow Gilkes’ Form?

1. Check his batting position. An opening slot usually means a bigger role.
2. Watch the strike rate. His value is in scoring quickly, not building long innings.
3. Follow his South Australia form. It is his first season in a new state system.
4. Track the 1,600 run mark. He needs 469 more BBL runs to reach it.

What Should You Take Away From Gilkes’ Numbers?

Gilkes is a long-serving Thunder player whose career has moved from a headline-making debut through several quieter seasons to a genuine breakout in 2025/26. His average of 20.19 undersells what he showed last summer, when he scored at a strike rate of 155.7 and combined with Sam Konstas for one of the club’s best partnerships of the season. With a new state to adjust to and two more guaranteed BBL seasons ahead, 2026/27 will show if last year was the turning point his club believes it was.

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