Redbacks hopeful Ben Wakim has a better-than-Bradman average of 412

HE is the 28-year-old Redbacks longshot who is letting his bat do the talking.

Adelaide University star Ben Wakim is averaging 412 after three rounds of SACA Premier Cricket. Picture: James Elsby (AAP).

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HE is the 28-year-old Redbacks longshot who is letting his bat do the talking.

Taking a different path to first-class cricket — he has never made a youth state team — Adelaide University run machine Ben Wakim is suddenly knocking on the selection door after an extraordinary start to the season.

Wakim, who moved to SA from New South Wales last year to chase his first-class dream, is boasting a better-than-Bradman batting average of 412 after three rounds of the SACA Premier Cricket season.

Ben Wakim on the run for Adelaide University at University Oval Number 1. Picture: Stephen Laffer

In four innings the right-handed opening batsman has been dismissed just once.

He made 120 not out against Kensington in round one, an unbeaten 150 against Northern Districts in round two and 0 and 142 not out in the last round against Tea Tree Gully.

The competition’s next-highest runscorer is Bulls captain Matthew Weaver with 229 — a whopping 183 behind Wakim.

“Being not out is a big average-booster but there’s no doubt it has been a great start to the season for me,'’ said Wakim, who already has impressed the Redbacks selectors enough to earn a Futures League call-up.

“I’m comfortable with where my game is at and hopefully I can keep playing well, keep putting my name in front of the State selectors and grab with both hands any opportunities that do come my way.’’

Born in Sydney, Wakim captained the University of New South Wales cricket team before quitting his job as an accountant to move to Darwin to pursue greater cricket opportunities.

“I was really enjoying my cricket in Sydney but thought if I wanted to go further and give it a real crack I had to make some pretty honest decisions with my life,’’ he said.

“New South Wales cricket is very strong and I’d never made any junior or senior representative teams there so I thought I needed to change something, commit fully to the game and try to play all year round.’’

Wakim spent the 2016 Australian winter playing for PINT in Darwin and then represented the Northern Strike in the Redbacks League.

This led to him last season moving to SA to join Adelaide University, which had been the home of two former UNSW teammates, Redback Tom Cooper and Bushranger Dan Christian.

Adelaide University star cricketer Ben Wakim at University Oval this week. Picture: AAP Image/James Elsby

Wakim made 440 runs at a solid average of 40 in SACA Premier Cricket last season but has taken his batting to a new level this campaign.

He made 22 and 64 in his Futures League debut for SA in a win against Queensland last month.

“I know I am a bit older than most guys who are trying to make their first-class debut but if playing cricket at the highest level wasn’t at the forefront of my mind I wouldn’t have made the move from Sydney,’’ Wakim said.

“There are some really good, young talented batsmen in SA and I know I am behind the eight-ball in terms of my age but hopefully my performances will speak for themselves.’’

They are doing just that.

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