WADE GETS PROMOTION
TASMANIAN captain Matthew Wade will shift up the batting order for the Tigers following the injury to his predecessor George Bailey in a move which could bolster his Ashes hopes.
Despite leading all Sheffield Shield scorers heading into the Big Bash League — and continuing his run spree in the BBL where he piled on the second most runs behind teammate D’Arcy Short — Wade continues to be overlooked for higher honours.
National chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns publicly stated Wade needed to bat higher for the Tigers after he missed selection for the fourth Test against India, much to the chagrin of Cricket Tasmania officials who had received no such feedback.
However with Bailey sidelined for at least the next fortnight after dislocating his shoulder in the BBL semi-final loss to the Melbourne Stars, Wade will move to as high as No.4 when the shield competition resumes this weekend.
“I will probably go up, it is just how far up I go,” said Wade, who has remained locked at No.6 in the order.
“I was in no position or didn’t want to move up the order just for my personal success.
“The situation that is going on at the moment probably dictates that I need to go up and take a bit more responsibility for the team, and I will do that.
“I think it will open up the opportunity to move up now I am playing as a specialist bat- ter … whether it is four or five I’m not 100 per cent sure yet.”
Wade will hand the gloves to Test skipper Tim Paine against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval, and if he can finish the shield season as strong as he started it, it could mount an irresistible case for selectors to pick him for the Ashes tour later this year.
However the 31-year-old remains focused on leading the state back into the shield final after a spluttering campaign leading into Christmas.
“We need to win some games, we have put ourselves in positions to win games the last couple down here against Victoria and Queensland, we had opportunities to win [and] we just didn’t take them like we did last year,” Wade said.
“It is a good opportunity to start well in Adelaide and if we keep giving ourselves the chances, hopefully more times than not we will start taking them. [There are a] couple of away trips then two home games so if we can get the momentum early and ride with it into our last two home games you never know.”
The Tigers have included all-rounder Tom Rogers — who has not played since early November because of injury — and teenage spinner Jarrod Freeman, with a final XI to be determined after inspecting the Adelaide Oval pitch.