Alex Ross was born in Melbourne and represents South Australia in Australia’s domestic cricket circuit. He spent much of his childhood in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he played hockey extensively. Ross credits the sport for helping develop his sweeping ability in cricket, with the motion becoming ingrained in his muscle memory. He later played youth cricket in Canberra and Adelaide before progressing to senior-level cricket with the South Australia Redbacks.

Ross made his domestic debut in the One-Day Cup in 2012 but rose to prominence during the 2015–16 Sheffield Shield season. In just his second Shield campaign, he enjoyed a breakthrough year, scoring 642 runs at an average of 35.66. That performance earned him the prestigious Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award at the Allan Border Medal ceremony in January 2016.

While he has proven his credentials in red-ball cricket, Ross is best known for his powerful stroke-play in limited-overs formats, particularly T20 cricket. His strong showing in the 2014 Matador Cup led to selection by the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, where he played two seasons and scored 247 runs at an impressive strike rate of 143.60. His frequent and effective use of the sweep shot earned him the nickname “sweepologist,” coined by former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming.

In February 2016, Ross signed a three-year contract with the Brisbane Heat, receiving strong backing from coach Daniel Vettori and teammate Chris Lynn, both of whom identified him as a potential match-winner. He made an immediate impact, scoring an explosive 65 against his former side, the Adelaide Strikers. His BBL performances also earned him a contract with the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League, although he featured in just three matches.

Ross later joined the Sydney Thunder in 2019, but as his form declined, he struggled to meet the expectations created earlier in his career. Despite remaining a regular presence in the Big Bash League, he was unable to take the next step beyond domestic and franchise-level cricket.