He’s been the breakout player of BBL10 and established himself as one of the best middle-order batsmen in the league, but Tim David’s journey to this point has been far from conventional.
When he joined the Hobart Hurricanes over the off-season, David not only brought his time playing for the Perth Scorchers but his experience playing associate-level international cricket for Singapore.
The move down south has immediately paid dividends for both player and team, with David thriving on the increased opportunity at the Hurricanes.
He’s averaging 37 runs at a strike rate of 152.38 and has made several innings saving knocks.
David spoke to The Inner Sanctum about his development over the last year and his new role at the Hurricanes for his current form.
“With a bit of increased responsibility and a bigger role to play at the Hurricanes, I’ve been able to show my skills and how I’ve been improving,” he said.
Before this season, David’s previous highest score in the Big Bash was 18* from his nine innings with the Scorchers, but he wasted no time establishing himself in purple.
In the first game of the season against the reigning champion Sydney Sixers, he made 58 runs off 33 balls to steer Hobart to victory and claim man of the match honours.
“I think in a tournament it’s always nice to play well in the first game and take a bit of momentum into the tournament.
“To be able to contribute to the team and help get us over the line was really pleasing as well”, David said.
His role as a middle-order batsman means he has to remain flexible, going from a finisher to an innings saver from game to game.
“It can be a tough role, I guess the most important thing you have to be is adaptable.
“There’s certainly different scenarios where sometimes you have to bat for a bit longer to build an innings, while other times you have to walk out in the last few overs and take it on straight away”, he said.
David said his decision to move from the Scorchers to the Hurricanes was based on getting an opportunity to play and show his skills.
“If I was still at the Scorchers this year I’m looking at a batting line-up with Ashton Turner at six and everyone in that top six has played international cricket. So it’s pretty hard to see myself slotting in there and having the same role I’ve been able to play at the Hurricanes.”
After starting the season strongly, the Hurricanes are currently second last on the ladder with a three-game losing streak, but David believes the team can turn it around soon.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best cricket for the last couple of games, but we know when we’re at our best we can beat anyone.
“We’re looking forward to playing with some confidence and taking the game on because that’s what people want to see in T20 cricket”, David said.
Beyond his time in the Big Bash, David is well known for playing associate-level international cricket for Singapore. David grew up in Perth but was born in Singapore, allowing him to take up the exciting opportunity.
“Playing for Singapore has been a great experience,” he said.
“I’ve played in really different conditions to what we have in Australia, some really spinning tracks with a lot of good spin bowlers. So that’s been awesome for me, to play in some different conditions, find out what works in those conditions and combat bowlers and that style of play.”
The move was sparked after David was not offered a Western Australia contract for the 2019-20 season, but he used the situation as an opportunity to do something unique and expand his own game.
“I think if you want to be successful in professional sport you have to be adaptable and try to make the most of each situation. I had the opportunity to go and do something a little bit different that not a lot of guys in Australia get the chance to do. I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been good fun and I’ve had the chance to play a lot of T20 cricket, which is probably helping me now that I’m back in the Big Bash.” David said.
David’s arrival has coincided with Singapore’s rise in the cricketing world. He has played in 14 T20 internationals and starred for a side that beat the likes of Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, and Nepal on its way to winning the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier tournament.
“We’ve played in some good tournaments which has been a result of our team improving and playing well.”
Singapore was part of the 2019 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in Dubai, the first time the country has gone to a global qualifier, but it was unable to advance.
“We probably weren’t as well prepared as we could have been, but it’s good for the guys to get a first taste of what’s it like at the next level of associate cricket, and hopefully next time we get there we can go better,” David said.
David is excited for what the future holds with Singapore, especially with another T20 World Cup happening in Australia next year.
“We have some great tournaments coming up, we’ve played well and qualified for the next stage of the T20 Asia Cup, which would be really exciting if they go ahead.
“There’s the global qualifiers to get into the T20 World Cup, so there’s definitely opportunities to play there and something I’m really looking forward to,” David said.
Despite playing associate-level cricket for Singapore, David is still eligible to play for Australia, which he said was a “pretty basic thing” to get ticked off so he didn’t limit his opportunities.
The Hurricanes will look to get their BBL10 campaign back on track when they go up against the Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval.
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