Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

Jake Weatherald has sent another timely reminder to Australian selectors as he struck a fluent century in the second four-day match against Sri Lanka A at Marrara Oval in Darwin. The left-hander brought up three figures in just 146 balls soon after lunch on the third day.

Weatherald also struck 54 off 98 balls in the first match last week on a surface where batting strike rates hovered in the 40s. His proactive style of play is something the selectors could favour moving forward, especially as coach Andrew McDonald all but confirmed Usman Khawaja will open in the Ashes.

“We see him [Khawaja] playing a part during the summer,” McDonald told SEN Radio, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald. “He’s got great experience [and] we still feel he’s moving well. It feels like I’m having a repeat conversation around David Warner. We know what we’re getting there. We feel that will match up well against England.”

Jake Weatherald continues strong form during Australia A series against Sri Lanka A

Weatherald’s performances for Australia A come off the back of an excellent 2024/25 Sheffield Shield campaign for Tasmania. The opener hit the most runs (906) at an average of 50.33 with three fifties and as many centuries. Also, his strike rate of 68.33 could tempt selectors to pick the 30-year-old as his attacking approach can better complement Khawaja.

However, the Marrara Oval track is excellent for batting and there is still plenty of cricket to be played before the first Ashes Test kicks off on November 21. After McDonald backed Khawaja, he said the first few rounds of the Sheffield Shield will be the deciding factor as to who makes the cut, including Sam Konstas.

Konstas endured a very difficult series in the West Indies, scoring just 50 runs at an average of 8.33. McDonald confirmed that the 19-year-old needs to go back to Shield and make runs for New South Wales in the leadup to the blockbuster five-match series.

“I think it was a difficult time for Sam. He’ll take away some information that will accelerate his growth. By him playing Test cricket I think has been a massive positive. I don’t think anyone is damaged by being exposed to Test cricket,” McDonald said.

“I think it leaves him where everyone else is in terms of Shield cricket at the start of the season. We’re not going to shy away from the fact that [competition] will be big for certain individuals to go about their work and put scores on the board and look at what we need for England.”

However, there is every chance Australia persists with the Khawaja-Konstas combination provided both – especially the latter – show enough form in the opening Shield rounds. McDonald was vocal about how difficult the conditions were in the West Indies, especially in the pink ball Test which had a swift end as Australia rolled the hosts for 27.

“That game [in Kingston] moved way too fast and at times didn’t even look like cricket. If you can give me a good form line on what that looks like for the first Test in Perth, you’re a better man than I,” McDonald said.

Weatherald will be fighting for a spot in Australia’s Ashes XI alongside a number of other contenders including Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Nathan McSweeney. The latter missed out as opener in the second four-day game against Sri Lanka A, bowled for 12 as offspinner Nishan Peiris spun one between bat and pad.

The 2025/26 Sheffield Shield season begins on October 10. Four rounds will be played before the first Ashes Test in Perth.

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