A core member of Western Australia’s fast bowling cartel has announced his retirement, with Matt Kelly calling time on an outstanding domestic career.

The 31-year-old announced his immediate retirement from all levels of cricket, having struggled with injuries and form that have robbed him of consistent game time in recent years

It brings a close to a glittering state career, having won multiple Sheffield Shield, One Day Cup and Big Bash League titles for WA across his decade of service.

Kelly arrived as a rookie ahead of the 2016 summer but did not take long to impress, earning a full-time contract in the following season.

He was integral to the State’s hat-trick of One Day titles and saw Big Bash success in 2023 when he took 11 wickets at 19, including two key incisions late in the final against Brisbane Heat, finishing as the Scorchers’ fifth all-time leading wicket-taker.

However, his best performances came with the red ball, where Kelly took 172 wickets at an average of 25.80 from his 54 appearances.

His highlight was his 4-41 in the second innings of the 2022-23 final against Victoria to cap off a stunning personal campaign where he took 35 wickets at 15.77 to help secure the state’s second straight title.

While his body has let him down in recent seasons, with a run of soft tissue injuries seeing him miss most of the recent summer and all of the Scorchers’ title-winning campaign, Kelly said he had enough memories to last a lifetime.

“To every teammate that I’ve shared the field and the dressing room with, I simply want to say thank you,” he said.

“Thank you all for the most amazing journey.

“The laughs, the challenges, the success, the support and most importantly the amazing friendships that will extend well beyond the cricket field.

“I’ve loved every minute we’ve spent together, and I’ll carry those memories with me forever.”

WA Cricket general manager of high performance Kade Harvey said Kelly had been an outstanding contributor to WA cricket.

“Matt has delivered many exceptional performances for both WA and Perth Scorchers and has played an integral role in the recent run of success across all formats,” he said.

“Most importantly, Matt embodies all the traits we expect of our players and is held in the highest regard by all staff and players.

“We wish Matt all the very best in his future endeavours and will always be welcome back at the WACA Ground.”