Consistency key as Peake aims to build Shield form

Turning his vast potential into the sort of form the Test selectors cannot ignore is the next goal for Ollie Peake.

Consistency is the buzzword for the highly rated left-hander, who has returned from Australian one-day duties to play for Victoria in their Sheffield Shield opener.

Early on day one at the Junction Oval, the 20-year-old, batting at number four, got off the mark with a delightful cover drive for four, then made his way to 32 before being bowled from the final ball before lunch attempting to leave one from Henry Thornton. 

After a modest Shield season last summer (323 runs at 23.07), Peake said he needed a different mindset.

"I don't think I'm really in the fold at the moment to be playing Test cricket, which is completely fair enough," he said. "Last year was a bit of a tough year with the Vics so (I am) looking to try and play my role the best I can here and hopefully go from there.

"I felt like sometimes I was letting the team down and then would want to change the way I was going about things.

"Hopefully it won't be quite as big an emotional rollercoaster."

Peake said he more at home in the national set-up after making his international one-day debut earlier this year.

"That's probably a bit to do with starting to get to know the boys a bit better, get to know your role in the team and probably take a little bit of weight off your shoulders, trying to impress people or whatever that looks like," he said.

"I definitely felt a bit more content with myself and how I play. I had a great time over there (in South Africa)."

Peake batted mainly at No.7, hitting a stunning 41no from 18 balls against Zimbabwe, and later in the South African series made 48 at No.4.

After making his professional debuts in all three formats between January and July last year, he surpassed Ricky Ponting as Australia's youngest out-and-out ODI batter as a 19-year-old in May.

"I've been very lucky to go on a lot of tours around the world already," he said at the time. "Having been to India three times, (to) Namibia and Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, South Africa – I feel like I've already had exposure to a lot of different conditions.

"So going to places where the conditions are different, but maybe easier to bat in than what domestic cricket is – and doing decently well in a few games in domestic cricket – I guess gives you confidence that you can perform."