Matthew Renshaw has pushed his case for an Ashes call-up by scoring a classy century in Australia A’s four-day match against New Zealand A on a green-tinged wicket at Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Sunday morning.
The Queenslander reached the milestone in 155 deliveries on day two of the rain-affected contest, sending a timely message to national selectors ahead of the marquee series in England.
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After New Zealand A won the toss and elected to field first in Lincoln, Renshaw combined with West Australian teenager Teague Wyllie for a 42-run opening partnership before Kiwi seamer Scott Kuggeleijn broke the stand on Saturday afternoon, with Wyllie carving a cut stroke towards point for 14.
Tasmanian rising star Tim Ward steadied the ship alongside Renshaw, guiding the tourists safely towards stumps on day one at 1-155 from 44 overs. Renshaw was unbeaten on 92 when bad light forced a premature end to proceedings, with shadows creeping across the pitch.
Resuming on Sunday morning, Renshaw brought up his century with a drive through the covers, removing his helmet and acknowledging the modest crowd. It was the 18th century of his first-class career.
“It’s really strange times at the moment for me, I feel like I haven’t really had much of a bat since the Big Bash … only four bats ago was the Big Bash,” Renshaw said on Saturday.
“That’s the way cricket can be sometimes so it’s nice to be back in the middle, back scoring runs and just enjoying batting.”
Renshaw eventually fell victim to Kuggeleijn, trapped LBW for 112, ending a 152-run partnership with Ward for the second wicket.
The two-match tour is being played with a Dukes ball in conditions designed to replicate those found in England, helping Australia prepare for their upcoming Ashes campaign.
Renshaw has already proven capable of batting in English conditions — he enjoyed a successful campaign with Somerset in the County Championship last year, scoring 620 runs at 47.69 in eight matches, including two centuries.
The left-hander continued that impressive form in the Sheffield Shield after returning home, plundering 310 first-class runs at 51.66 for Queensland this summer. He also scored 81 and 101 not out for the Prime Minister’s XI against West Indies in Canberra last November.
National selectors rewarded Renshaw with a long-awaited Test recall, picked for the New Year’s Test against South Africa and the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy — but he couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, registering scores of 5*, 0, 2 and 2.
Renshaw does not have a county deal, meaning these two matches against New Zealand A are crucial for the 27-year-old looking to firm his Ashes credentials.
