Opener Hughes is keen to use today's Champions League semi-final as a platform to make up for New South Wales' domestic T20 defeat to arch-rivals Victoria
Opener Hughes is keen to use today's Champions League semi-final as a platform to make up for New South Wales' domestic T20 defeat to arch-rivals Victoria
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When the world saw his unorthodox style of batting during Australia's home series against South Africa last year, Phillip Hughes was thought to be better suited for the shorter formats of the game.
And the 20-year-old New South Wales Blues' opening batsman has lived up to the expectations by emerging as the highest run-getter at the end of the league stages of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20.
As the Blues face arch-rivals Victoria Bushrangers in tonight's first semi-final in a repeat of the Twenty20 Big Bash final, Hughes is waiting to avenge the defeat in the domestic T20 tournament at the start of the year.
But more than revenge, Hughes feels the fact that both teams know each other's strengths and weaknesses could prove to be vital at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. Both teams played four warm-up games, a 50-over-a-side and three T20s, against each other ahead of the tournament.
"NSW and Victoria have played each other a lot lately, so we know each other's games pretty well. It will be a realu00a0 battle," Hughes told MiD DAY.
Hughes and his opening partner David Warner will hold the key. If the Bushrangers allow them to get off to a flier, Cameron White's men might as well start packing their bags. Obviously, Hughes off-the-field rapport with Warner is a bonus for the pair.
"David and I get on really well on and off the field. We have a lot of fun batting together. We have a good understanding now, so I hope we can keep getting NSW off to a good start," Hughes said.
The Indian cricket may have seen the rise of cricketers from smaller towns only over the last decade, but it's nothing new for Australian cricket especially for the New South Wales province.
Young batting sensation Hughes joins the likes of Doug Walters and Glenn McGrath, who hailed from countryside towns of Dungog and Dubbo
The 20-year-old, who hails from Macksville a riverside town equidistant from Sydney and Brisbane has made rapid strides over the last 12 months to be included in the list of the cricketing 'powerhouses'.
After an impressive run with the Australia U-19 side and then making his mark on the first-class circuit, Hughes was awarded his Baggy Green during Australia's tour of South Africa this year. And though he got out for a duck on his debut innings, he followed it up with scores of 75, 115 and 160 the last two coming in the same Test.
Naturally, Hughes, who sought Sachin Tendulkar's advice in Mumbai after a below-par Ashes showing, is a happy man now. "The last 10-12 months have been brilliant for me the stuffu00a0 you dream of as a kid," he signed off.
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