Cricket: Ben Hilfenhaus keeps one eye on Ashes
Having been on the losing side in England in 2009 and again in Australia in 2010-11, Hilfenhaus is already talking about a desire to avoid a third successive Ashes defeat when Michael Clarke’s men return next year.
“I definitely think we’ve got unfinished business,” Hilfenhaus said. “I’ve lost two Ashes series now. I definitely don’t want to be a part of a third losing one, that’s for sure, and I think there are a lot of blokes who feel exactly the same way. I’m not looking too far ahead at this stage, but it will be a pretty big series for us.
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Hide Ad“You always love to beat the Poms. We didn’t have the ideal start to the one-day series and I think in the last two games of the series we’re definitely going to show them what we are made of, that we are the No 1 team in the world.
“It’s nice to be playing in these conditions and get a feel for them again, and just have a little reminder of the things we need to work on.”
The promise of overcast skies today, after the welter of rain still falling in the north-east, is encouraging him.
“It does swing a bit here, especially when you have two new white balls,” the Tasmanian added. “My skill is swinging the ball up front; that is something I have always done. When it stops swinging I try to keep it tight for as long as I can, while the others are probably more ‘impact’.”
A valued part of Australia’s Test side, but still on the fringes in the ODI game, Hilfenhaus added: “I still have a few things to prove in the shorter form of the game. I’ll keep chipping away and hopefully my skills can get to the stage where I’m a permanent member.”