Ashes hopeful Hilton Cartwright admits it's make-or-break time for him as he attempts to convince selectors that his recent pair was merely an anomaly.
Cartwright appeared to be the frontrunner for the vacant No.6 position in the Test team until he recorded a pair of ducks while batting for WA in the recent Sheffield Shield loss to NSW.
The 25-year-old is confident the nightmare return was merely bad luck, rather than a form issue or inability to deal with the intense pressure.
Cartwright has the chance to back up his words when he fronts up for WA in the Shield clash with South Australia at the WACA Ground, starting Monday.
"I'm not going to dwell too much on it," said Cartwright.
"I'm not the only batter who has got a pair in their life before. There's still another Shield game to prove myself worthy.
"In terms of the Ashes it is (a make-or-break game for me).
"But I'm only 25. If things don't happen this year, I've just got to keep sticking at it. You never know - it might happen in the next Ashes series of whenever it might be.
"But I'm extremely confident in my game. Just one game ago, I made 100 runs for the game. I'm as confident in my game as I have ever been."
Cartwright faces stiff competition for the No.6 berth, with the likes of Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Bancroft, Dan Hughes, Lake Lehmann, Moises Henriques, and Travis Head among the many contenders.
Bancroft has also joined the race to land the Test team's wicketkeeper role after starring with bat and gloves against NSW.
The 24-year-old scored 76 not out and 86 against a star-studded Blues attack, and played the entire match as WA's wicketkeeper.
With Peter Nevill, Alex Carey, and Matthew Wade all struggling to make runs, Bancroft could make his case for Ashes selection irresistible if he can post a century against the Redbacks.
But the Ashes hopes of WA paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile are in tatters after he aggravated an old stress fracture in his back.
Coulter-Nile will be rested for several weeks before undergoing more scans.
