Finch bats for Wells
TWENTY20 captain Aaron Finch has anointed BBL journeyman Jono Wells as a potential World Cup bolter.
Finch will make his commentary debut as part of the Fox Cricket team for the Big Bash finals, with the white ball skipper understanding Australian players and the format as well as anyone.
And no player has impressed Finch more than the no-frills Adelaide Strikers finisher Wells who he has identified as a missing link that could force his way into Australia’s relatively settled squad leading into the World Cup on home soil this year.
Wells might not make as much noise as the likes of Marcus Stoinis, Chris Lynn and D’arcy Short, but the largely unheralded Tasmanian has carved out a niche as one of the Big Bash’s most reliable matchwinners.
“The player who has been so consistent for a long time is Jonny Wells. He’s someone who whenever his side has been in some trouble, he’s got them out of a spot and got them to a really competitive total,” Finch said. “I think when the team is going well he tends to put a bit of icing on the cake. He’s such an experienced Twenty20 player now that he adapts to a lot of different situations. He’s someone who has been that impressive for quite a few years now and just keeps getting it done.”
Finch will move into the commentary box after the Melbourne Renegades season wraps up, with the defending champions now no chance of making the finals.
“It’s unfortunate about the
Renegades season, but I can’t wait for the opportunity (from Fox). It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” Finch said.
“I think playing and captaining for so many years, I can bring another dimension to it and give some insight into how you go about planning and preparing against certain players and the strengths and weaknesses they bring to the table.”
Australia’s T20 middleorder is yet to be fully tested after Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell at the top of the order trounced Sri Lanka and Pakistan on their own.
Wells at 31 years old is uncapped in all formats, but his domestic T20 average of 35 and strike-rate of 124 makes him one of the format’s most proven performers.
His emergence could put Ben Mcdermott and Ashton Turner under pressure.
The one batsman who has stood out ahead of Wells (406 runs) is Marcus Stoinis (590 runs), but that doesn’t mean the Melbourne Stars linchpin is shortening for a World Cup recall.