Australia A opener Jake Weatherald further pressed his case for a maiden national call-up with a 183-run knock during the second unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, his city of birth.
Unbeaten on 45 overnight, the left-hander reached triple figures in 146 deliveries on day three at Marrara Oval, cracking 18 boundaries all up during the stylish knock. The 30-year-old, who was fortunate to survive on 96 late in the morning session when an edge dropped agonisingly short of first slip, also scored a half-century during last week’s four-day match against Sri Lanka at the same venue.
In response to Sri Lanka A’s 6-485 declared, Australia A was 3-379 at stumps after 103 overs, with captain Jason Sangha (121*) and Oliver Peake (3*) in the middle.
West Indies vs Australia Test & T20I Series | Watch every ball LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 >
Weatherald thrust himself in the national conversation after finishing last summer’s Sheffield Shield campaign as the leading run-scorer with 906 at 50.33 and a healthy strike rate of 68.27, including three centuries and three fifties in ten matches.
After eight seasons with South Australia, Weatherald reinvigorated his first-class career by moving to Tasmania ahead of the 2023/24 summer, since cementing himself as an integral member of the Tigers’ starting XI.
He looms as a left-field option to open alongside Usman Khawaja during the upcoming Ashes campaign, while he’s one of the leading candidates to replace the Queenslander whenever he decides to retire from Tests.
“As a batter, you’re trying to put yourself forward to play for Australia. That’s why we’re here,” Weatherald said at stumps on day three.
“It’s why you play domestic cricket. Making runs is your best currency to getting higher honours.
“It was a good opportunity to make a big score and thankfully, I made one today.”
He continued: “If you keep making runs, of course, you’re going to get noticed more. And I’ve done that.
“I’m batting well and I’m ready to go if it comes to that moment.”
Incumbent Australian opener Sam Konstas contributed 50 runs at 8.33 during the recent Frank Worrell Trophy campaign in the Caribbean, with his Test batting average slipping to 16.30. After Australia’s 3-0 series whitewash of the West Indies, national coach Andrew McDonald suggested that Konstas would need to “put some scores on the board” in the Sheffield Shield to earn a maiden Ashes call-up.
Speaking to NewsWire earlier this month, Weatherald confessed he was wary that a strong start to the upcoming Sheffield Shield season would put him on the verge of a maiden Test call-up.
“Most would be lying if they said it wasn’t on their mind, especially with all the stuff going on in the Australian team, there’s opportunities being provided to those who are doing well,” Weatherald said.
“I am not sure what the future holds, I’ve still got to take a lot more opportunities but from a belief point of view I believe I am good enough to play.
“At the same time I have to prove that with performances in the Australia A stuff and have to have a bit of luck as well, other players might have to miss out for me to come in.
“Everything has to sort of work out, move the right pieces at the right time, but to be this close is an amazing feeling anyway to be suggested I could be around that mark.”
He continued: “It’s self-sabotaging at times, you don’t want to be too focused on the end point when if you’re not good enough at the starting point you’re not going to get there.
“For me, it was, ‘Let’s focus on what I can control and that’s the way I train, the way I go about my game. From there hopefully everything else takes care of itself.’ If I don’t play for Australia or don’t go on to do anything else, that’s fine, at least I tried the right things.”
