Jake Weatherald scored 183 opening the batting for Australia A against Sri Lanka
The reigning Sheffield Shield player of the year clubbed 16 fours and two towering sixes on his way to 183 against Sri Lanka A after Australian coach Andrew McDonald put the Test opening spot out to tender in the wake of Sam Konstas' dismal West Indian adventure.
He was seemingly poised to hit a maiden first class double ton before dragging on with less than 10 minutes before stumps.
Weatherald, 30, is among a handful of openers preparing to contend for Ashes spots later this year and enhanced his chances with the bold dig.
He out-batted fellow Test aspirants Nathan McSweeney (12) and Kurtis Patterson (59) before sharing a 209-run partnership with emerging gun Jason Sangha (121no).
Sangha has earmarked himself as a future star of Australian cricket in the past six months, supporting a Sheffield Shield final ton in March with his century for Aus A.
Weatherald's innings adds to a career-best Shield season where he topped the run chart with 906.
The Tasmanian spoke exclusively to this masthead prior to the Australian A series in Darwin.
He said he was watching the Aussie top order closely but conceded a lot had to go right for him to earn a baggy green.
'Most would be lying if they said it wasn't on their mind, especially with all the stuff going on in the Australian team, there's opportunities being provided to those who are doing well,' he said.
'I am not sure what the future holds, I've still got to take a lot more opportunities but from a belief point of view I believe I am good enough to play.
'At the same time I have to prove that with performances in the Australia A stuff and have to have a bit of luck as well, other players might have to miss out for me to come in.
'Everything has to sort of work out, move the right pieces at the right time, but to be this close is an amazing feeling anyway to be suggested I could be around that mark.'
Weatherald's knock is a precursor to what is being dubbed 'a great Ashes bat off' in the early parts of the Shield season.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald has repeatedly said the opening rounds of the summer will hold considerable weight in first Test selection.
'We're not going to shy away from the fact that will be big for certain individuals to go about their work, put some scores on the board, and, and then for us to look at what we need against England,' McDonald said.
Australia A finished the day 106 runs in arrears of Sri Lanka's first innings total.
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