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The more astute among Australian cricket fans would have been following the progress of Victorian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade since he debuted in the Sheffield Shield season of 2007/8 as 19 year old.
Early in his career, Wade left Tasmania for Melbourne after seeing he was stuck behind Tasmania wicketkeeper and fellow Test aspirant Tim Paine. On his Shield debut he compiled a well composed 83 and picked up six catches as ‘keeper.
Wade, who turned 24 on Boxing Day, hasn’t looked back since that day. In his 50 first-class matches to date, he has accumulated 2440 runs at an average of 40.16, which includes four centuries. As a keeper he has taken 188 dismissals, including 183 catches.
Wicketkeeping is the area of his game that Wade has improved during his time with Victoria. He needed to, due to the fact that his main rival Paine is a very accomplished gloveman.
His batting has been good all along. Wade has played some crucial innings for Victoria, notably in the Sheffield Shield final in 2009/10.
In their first innings against Queensland, Victoria were in terrible trouble at 6/75, but ended up getting to 305 thanks to a gritty knock of 96 from Wade. It was so influential that Victoria would go on to win the final by 457 runs.
Early this season, Wade represented Australia in the T20 against South Africa. Since he came back to play for Victoria he has scored 316 runs at an average of 63.20, to continue putting pressure on incumbent Brad Haddin.
Haddin hasn’t had his best 12 months of Test cricket. He’s probably had his worst. In his last 10 Tests, Haddin has scored 335 runs at an average of 20.93, well below his career average of 35.54, and the early stages of his career when it was around the 40 mark.
In recent times Haddin has also struggled with the gloves, dropping key chances in the last Test match at the SCG.
So with Haddin struggling, and in the twilight of his career aged 34, Wade only needs to continue to be consistent in all forms of the game, in particular first-class cricket. With that in mind, it’s only a matter of time before Matthew Wade has a baggy green cap on his head.
It may well be sooner rather than later.
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