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Reardon thought he'd missed the boat

Bulls batsman shocked by T20 call-up

Australia T20 bolter Nathan Reardon has revealed he thought his international career was over before it began.

Reardon, 29, got the call from National Selector Rod Marsh from the UAE yesterday informing him he was picked in Australia’s 13-man squad to take on South Africa in the three-T20 series starting on November 5 in Adelaide, but concedes he thought the call would never come.

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“I always thought I’d missed the boat,” Reardon told cricket.com.au.

“There’s a lot of young talented and older talented guys throughout the country and I knew I had an ability there but I never saw that opportunity was going to come.

“I never gave up on it, but deep down I always thought it was over. It’s a good reward for the performances I’ve put on the board.”

Marsh told Reardon his efforts in this year’s Matador One-Day Cup, where he’s scored 195 runs at an average of 48.75 with a rapid strike rate of 128.28, is the reason behind his elevation to the national set-up.

Batting at No.5 in the powerful myFoot Dr Queensland Bulls middle order, the left-hander started the tournament in cautious fashion, top-scoring with 45 from 76 in the four-wicket loss to the NSW Blues at Allan Border Field.

At the same venue six days later Reardon erupted, blasting a remarkable 75 from only 35 balls in a knock that included seven fours and six sixes to help the Bulls post 4-351 from 50 overs against the West End Redbacks.

Another scintillating half-century (52 from 27 balls) was followed by a quick-fire 21 in Queensland’s stunning chase of 399 at North Sydney Oval to secure the Bulls a finals position.

With the Sunshine State’s imperious top order firing on all cylinders, Reardon, who debuted for Queensland eight years ago in the old KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, has had licence this season to unleash on opposing attacks from ball one.

“The older you get the more comfortable you feel with your game,” Reardon said.

“The last couple of years in the one-day competition I’ve been fortunate enough, batting at five, you need a platform to be set.

“Our top order have done well and that’s allowed me to play with a bit of freedom.

“Early on (in my career) I put a lot of pressure on myself.

“Now I’m realising cricket’s just a game and try to stay pretty relaxed about the whole thing.

“I’m pretty comfortable with my game where it’s at, at the moment.

“Hopefully that can transfer if I get an opportunity in this upcoming (T20) series.”

Reardon says he hasn’t put any thought into the looming Cricket World Cup that’s set to hit the Australian and New Zealand shores in less than four months, but if his T20 selection is anything to go by, it’s that no boat has ever sailed.

“If you’re in the right place at the right time sometimes you get rewarded,” he said.

“Now that they see me as someone who can play that role there is a bit of light there if I continue to perform well.

“The Aussie one-day side is pretty well set and all I can do is keep putting performances on the board and you never know, if there are injuries and opportunities do arise hopefully my name - if I’m scoring runs - is well and truly in front of the selectors.”