Wade: Best of my career
Thu, 18 March 2010
Bushrangers wicketkeeper Matthew Wade rates his innings of 96 on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield final against Queensland as the best innings of his career - not for his clean hitting, but for his patience in helping to drag the Vics out of the mire. Wade came to the crease with Victoria in crisis at 5-60 and departed just nine deliveries from stumps with the equilibrium of the contest largely restored at 9-284. The 22-year-old slammed 12 boundaries and three sixes in his 204-ball stay, but it's restraint rather than attack that defines the innings in Wade's own mind. "I don't think I've ever batted as patient," said Wade. "I think I was 18 off 90 (deliveries faced) and it didn't really faze me, whatsoever." "I was actually thinking about my coach (Greg Shipperd) when I batting was out there because that's how he used to play." While his miscued drive off James Hopes in the penultimate over suggested he was keen to get to three figures before stumps, Wade blamed poor shot selection rather than rashness for his undoing. "I was just thinking 'get through tonight'," said Wade. "I was pretty happy to be 90-odd overnight and come back tomorrow but I tried to punch it down the ground, there was a bit of extra bounce and the rest is history." Wade said there was more grass on the wicket than the Vics expected and while batting became easier as the day wore on, he believes the Bulls, who have been rolled for less than 200 in the first innings of Shield matches four times this season, won't have it all their own way when their turn comes. "It's very two-paced and it's going to be hard throughout the game," he said of the pitch. "If our blokes bowl nice and full and straight with a few catches either side of the wicket, we can probably create 10 chances throughout the day." "We'd like 300, I suppose, tomorrow and then we go from there with the ball." "We'll concentrate on getting a few early ones and then just make it 'old MCG', make it really hard to score like they did for us and dry them up."
by Angus Morgan, Sportal
