McDermott hopes finishing is just the beginning

Hard-hitting Hobart Hurricanes batter Ben McDermott is determined to lock down the finisher role at domestic and international level as he chases his dream of winning the T20 World Cup for Australia.

McDermott is the incumbent No.4 in Australia's T20 team behind a top order of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith, but with in-form Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell likely to return to the T20 side, the Tasmanian is hoping to remain in the middle-order and finish off the innings.

The 25-year-old has been fulfilling that role this season with the Hurricanes, sometimes to confusion as seemingly less-credentialed batters have come in ahead of him at stages during the BBL|09 season.

But McDermott wants to own that position in the national side and prove he’s Australia’s best option there for the T20 World Cup on home soil next summer. 

"That's the plan for me, just to come in around the 10-over mark and really finish the innings off strong," McDermott told cricket.com.au following the KFC BBL washout in Sydney on Thursday night. 

"We've got some players at the top with D'Arcy (Short) and Wadey (Matt Wade) and Caleb Jewell – top-order specialist players – without someone who has finished off the innings off for us over the past couple of years.

"I'll be looking to do that for the Australian team and this team as well moving forward.

"That's the dream, to play in a World Cup and win a World Cup. That's definitely the carrot."

So far this BBL season, McDermott is averaging 23.85 with one half-century – an unbeaten 51 to guide the Hurricanes to a seven-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades on Christmas Eve.

He also hit a quick-fire 20 from 11 balls, hitting two fours and a six having walked to the crease in the 16th over in Hobart's clash with the Scorchers at Perth Stadium. 

The right-hander started the season at the top of the order but has shifted to No.5 in the past few games, a position the national team has struggled to bed down.

Since the last T20 World Cup in April 2016 in India, only Finch has found success coming in at third-drop with 20no, 36no and 18no in Australia's successful T20 tri-series against England and New Zealand two years ago.

One spot lower at No.6, McDermott holds the highest score of 32no (against India in November 2018) for Australia over the past four years, with 10 players batting at least one innings in the position.

There is no shortage of contenders for the No.5 or No.6 spots, with McDermott, fellow incumbent Ashton Turner, allrounders Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, and Strikers gun Jonathan Wells all in the frame.

While McDermott says there has been no directive from the Australian camp to bat lower down the order and work on finishing off an innings, it has been a natural progression given the batting personnel at the Hurricanes.

"It's not come directly from the Aussie guys, it's just the way it's panned out with us as well," he said.

"I enjoy batting in the Power Play but we've got some good players who do it already.

"Like I said, we've just lacked someone there – George (Bailey) has been really good at it, but with him coming to the end of his career now it's something I really want to lock in and do well for the Hurricanes and eventually lock it down for Australia and do really well at international level."

There might be no harder task in T20 cricket than coming out to bat with only a handful overs left to either post a big total or chase down a target, but McDermott says flexibility is the key.

"It's about being adaptable and ready to go from ball one," he said.

"You can be coming in with five balls or five overs to spare.

"In the last T20 series (against Pakistan) I was batting No.4 and I didn't bat twice.

"You've just got to be really adaptable and expect to come in anytime between 10 to 20 overs."