Sri Lanka, India calling Bevan

[Donny]

India calling Bevan

By Jon Pierik- Fox Sports


A PASSIONATE Michael Bevan again showed why he must be strongly considered for Test tours of Sri Lanka and India next year after posting his highest first-class score yesterday.

Resuming on 110, the methodical Bevan, who is considering retirement from Pura Cup cricket, sauntered on to 216 and in doing so helped NSW to first innings points over Tasmania at the SCG.

At stumps on day three, Tasmania was 2-105 - still 35 runs behind.

Dropped on 138, Bevan's crisp innings followed on from his ton against Victoria at the MCG last week.

While saying the coming tours were still a long way off, national selection chairman Trevor Hohns last night said Bevan was in contention for a trip to Sri Lanka in February.

The 33-year-old played the last of his 18 Tests almost six years ago.

"You never say never to anybody," Hohns said.

"He is the displaying the sort of form that attracts attention.

"He is never out of contention."

In a rare show of on-field emotion, Bevan, following the lead of Ricky Ponting in Adelaide last week, blew a kiss to wife Tracey and his two daughters sitting in the stands upon reaching his double-ton for the fifth time in first-class cricket.

"Ricky has set a dangerous precedent," a smiling Bevan said last night. "My wife was giving it to me saying, 'If you get a double hundred you better give me a kiss'.

"I had my family out here today, the girls were out here, so they were having a good time. It was probably more in that spirit."

Bevan had more reason to celebrate next ball when he thumped spinner Xavier Doherty through mid-on to ink his highest first-class score - bettering his previous best of 203 not out against Western Australia a decade ago.

He was the second-last man dismissed when he mistimed a sweep shot off spinner Xavier Doherty, ending an eight-hour epic which featured 30 boundaries and a six.

His innings also helped him into second place on the all-time list of run-scorers at the SCG behind Sir Donald Bradman.

Bevan last wore his baggy green cap against South Africa at the SCG in 1997-98 and feels he never did justice to his batting talent, averaging 29.07 with six half-centuries.

But if the national selectors adopt a "horses for courses" policy, there's no reason why he should be overlooked for the Asian tours.

Regarded for so long as the best limited overs player in the world, Bevan has said he may retire from first-class cricket and become a one-day specialist at the end of this domestic season if he feels he will never play Test cricket again.

"That's definitely in the thoughts at the moment, unless of course something changes," he said.