Mitch Marsh is adamant he can deliver if recalled to the Test lineup, despite his lean run of scores continuing.
The Perth captain was dismissed for three as the Scorchers opened their BBL season with a four-wicket loss to the Melbourne Renegades on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium.
In his first game for the Renegades, Dan Christian closed out the match with a six and took them to 6-107 off 15.2 overs.
Christian was 13no and also took 3-22 from three overs, while BBL debutant Will Sutherland was unbeaten on seven.
It is the Renegades' first win over Perth in nine matches.
Six days out from the Boxing Day Test, the Australian vice-captain was left kicking himself when he mis-timed a big hit on his fifth delivery and skied a catch.
But after a frustrating run in the last few Sheffield Shield matches, Marsh feels a big score is close amid speculation he could make a surprise return to the Test lineup.
"I was really excited about tonight and probably my shot showed how excited I was," he said.
"I'm feeling really good, the way I'm hitting the ball ... if I do get in, (it's) cashing in on a big one," he said.
"That's what I haven't been able to do, the last couple of weeks, but ultimately I'm still feeling really confident if I get the opportunity."
Perth went without a boundary for nine overs - apart from a ground-rule six when Ashton Turner's skied shot off Christian hit the Marvel Stadium roof.
Scorchers and Test batsman Cameron Bancroft was at the game, nine days before his ban ends, and he saw his team dismissed for 103 from 19 overs.
But the Scorchers are masters at defending low totals, including a BBL record of 117 against the Renegades at home in 2013.
By contrast, the Renegades' batting can be a problem.
Melbourne also have captain Aaron Finch and fellow opener Marcus Harris on Test duty.
The Renegades were duly in tatters at 4-17, with Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile snaring two wickets apiece.
Sam Harper and Mohammad Nabi wrested control back with a big-hitting partnership of 68 from 45 balls.
But with his first delivery of the game, spinner Ashton Agar had Nabi caught at long on for 35 from 27 balls in the 12th over.
Three balls later, between the batsmen and a direct hit from Michael Klinger had Harper run out for 36 from 25 deliveries and the Renegades were wobbling again at 6-85.
That brought Christian and Sutherland together and they ensured there was no more damage.
Pakistan left-armer Usman Khan Shinwari bowled superbly and was named man of the match for his 2-17 from four overs, but Harper was stiff not to claim the honour for his impressing innings.
"The adrenaline was pumping, it was great fun out there," Harper said.
"It was nice to get a win."
