It's fast becoming the summer of renewal for Ashes hopefuls as Phil Hughes shot to the top of the list of forgotten Test players pressing selectors for a recall after blasting a double century for South Australia against Western Australia on Friday.
In a innings that almost produced three centurions for the Redbacks, Hughes top-scored with a mammoth 204 on day three of the Sheffield Shield fixture at Adelaide Oval.
The talented left-hander's maiden double ton swept the Redbacks past the Warriors' first-innings score of 434 and propelled the hosts to an imposing 4-520 at stumps - a lead of 86 runs on the new drop-in pitch being used at the recently-renovated ground.
Hughes formed an opening partnership of 253 with former Redbacks skipper Michael Klinger and with more than 950 runs scored across the two innings for the loss of just 14 wickets, next month's second Ashes Test could shape up to be a batsman's paradise.
Travis Head joined in the run feast but fell two runs shy of a first Shield century on a wicket that offered little assistance for the WA bowlers.
Klinger departed for 125 after being caught and bowled by Warriors speedster and chief wicket-taker Ryan Duffield (3-114).
Head, 19, then showed why he is rated as one of the country's most promising batsman as he put on a 167-run stand with Hughes, who thumped 26 boundaries in his 533-minute stay at the crease.
The former NSW batsman was finally dismissed late in the day when he was run out by Nathan Coulter-Nile's direct throw at the stumps.
"It's a special feeling and one I'll never ever forget," Hughes said.
"I've come close a couple of times and never got over the line, so it's nice to finally get the big two figures.
"I pride myself on scoring big and in probably my last 10-15 innings, I've scored a lot of starts and that's been disappointing."
Hughes, who was a casualty of Australia's thumping defeat by England in the second Test at Lord's, was initially chosen to play for the Cricket Australia Invitational XI against the touring English at the SCG.
But the 24-year-old was withdrawn earlier this week to allow Redbacks teammate Callum Ferguson further exposure at international level.
Hughes said he had been in touch with Test selectors and told in no uncertain terms what he had to do to end his exile.
"It was very simple; just make runs, runs, runs and more runs," he said.
"That's the message, and I know that. I've been in and out of the side for a number of years at the top level.
"That's behind me now being dropped (in England) and I'm not concerned about that one bit.
"But the selectors have been very supportive. I've been in regular touch and had some good talks with (chairman of selectors) John Inverarity the last couple weeks."
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