Jake Weatherald expresses readiness for Test Cricket and also thinks he is ready for a Test call-up if it comes.
While excitement is growing around 18-year-old Victoria hitter Oliver Peake following another strong performance in his first red-ball outing for Australia A, veteran Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald believes he is ready to play if he receives a Test call-up for the Ashes later this year.
Together with captain Jason Sangha, the two were the stars of Australia A’s second four-day match against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, where the home team amassed 558 for 4 declared in a batting-dominated draw.
The obvious disclaimer for their performances is that it was very easy to score runs at Marrara Cricket Ground. Sangha recorded a career-best undefeated 202, Weatherald made 183, and Peake scored 92 in his second first-class match. Over the course of four full days of play, only ten wickets were lost. Sri Lanka Along with four additional half-centuries, the game also saw hundreds from batsmen Nuwanidu Fernando and Pavan Rathnayake.
After maintaining his exceptional form over the past 12 months, Weatherald feels he is prepared to play Test cricket if the selectors call him up for the Ashes series later this year.
“If you keep making runs, of course you’re going to get noticed more – and I’ve done that,” Weatherald said on Tuesday in Darwin after his innings of 183. “Obviously there’s some great candidates there as well, and they’ve earned their right to be there.
“So to be amongst them is a pretty proud moment.
“But I’m batting well, and I think I’m ready to go if it comes to that moment.”
“Just age, getting used to what I’m doing, understanding my game, understanding what I need to do to make runs and bat [for] long periods of time,” Weatherald said.
“And just being confident I can do it in any conditions, just believing that I’ve got the right method and sticking to it throughout my innings and not being taken away by the wicket or the situation.
“Just being able to lock in and do my thing.”