After facing a barrage of ferocious bouncers and indulging in a banter with Jofra Archer, Matthew Wade is expecting more chin music in the 2021-22 Ashes in Australia.
Wade, who scored a brilliant century (117 runs off 166 balls) in a losing cause in the fifth and final Test at The Oval, went toe to toe with Archer and the other English players in the verbal stakes throughout the series but has nothing but respect for his former Hobart Hurricanes teammate.
The pair enjoyed a superb banter on day four at The Oval with Archer sending down some menacing deliveries in excess of 154 km/h, one of which hit Wade’s shoulder.
“The way Jofra has taken to Test cricket … I knew he was obviously a freakish talent – and when he was around the England team I knew he’d be playing this series,” Wade said after the end of the match.
“We all thought he’d slow down eventually but I can tell you that through that spell he certainly didn’t slow down too much. He kept coming.
“It’s good hard Test cricket. I was feeling comfortable with the way I was playing. I felt like I could deal with what he was delivering and he obviously thought he could rip my head off or get me out.
“It was a good battle. There was a little bit of banter, no words really.”
Wade also said Archer will be a handful in Australian conditions, but may be easier to face on the bouncier pitches.
“I think he’ll be a handful on any pitch he plays on.
“Traditionally Australia is a little bit easier to play the short ball especially because of the consistency of the bounce.
“You can get under balls. You saw a lot this series of guys ducking into balls, myself included.
“The pace of the wickets aren’t the same as what we have, and the consistency in Australia.
“He’ll be hard work. You’ve got to bowl probably a touch fuller than what you can bowl sometimes over here with the slowness of the pitches and not as much bounce.
“But he’s going to be a handful on any pitch that he bowls on over the next couple of years, and Australia will be no different.”
The #Ashes battle between @HurricanesBBL teammates Matthew Wade and Jofra Archer was must-watch stuff! pic.twitter.com/e9e4zUcY7Y
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 15, 2019
