Sheffield Shield | Didn’t expect Daniel Solway to play as well as he did, admits Daniel Hughes
Australian first-class cricketer Daniel Hughes has admitted that he did not expect New South Wales teammate Dan Soloway to perform as well as he did in the recently-concluded Marsh Sheffield Shield season. NSW were crowned champions of the 2019-20 edition with six wins, two losses, and a draw.
The sudden end to the Australian domestic season, forced by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, saw NSW lift the title once again. However, the result was one few could argue with the decision given their dominance during the season.
The Blues began the campaign with four straight outright wins, capitalising on the availability of the Australian players before international duty called. They followed it up with another win before the BBL break, leaving them with one foot in the final. Two losses after the season resumed in February did not derail them as a victory over South Australia sealed top spot.
Daniel Hughes top-scored with 665 runs at an average of 44.33, while senior batsman Moises Henriques chipped in with 500-plus runs. Harry Conway and Trent Copeland split 50 wickets between them despite the shortened season, but it was Daniel Solway who came off as a surprise packet at the end. The rookie wicket-keeper batsman came away with 498 runs to his name at an impressive average of 55.33.
"I can't go past Dan Solway. He's been really consistent with his performances and smashing the door down at club cricket. Nobody really expected him to come out on debut and score 133no. He was consistent throughout the whole year and he ended up averaging in the mid-50s. He was a really key player for us in the middle order the whole year. I knew he would play well but I didn't think he would play as well as he did in his first seven games,” Hughes told cricket.com.au.