Matthew Wade is no stranger to Sheffield Shield finals but he hadn't expected to be playing in one this season.
The former Victorian and Test gloveman will line up for his home state Tasmania from Friday in the five-day decider against Queensland at Brisbane's Allan Border Field.
It's his third final in four years after skippering the Bushrangers to Shield success in 2015 and '16.
In a twist of fate, Wade helped the Tigers to pip Victoria for a spot in the final, courtesy of a last-round win against his former team.
"Probably not something I expected after the first round of Shield cricket," he told reporters on Wednesday at Hobart Airport.
"I just wanted to come back and contribute. I'm starting to feel comfortable now.
"To get back in and understand the other players took a bit of time."
Replaced in the Test XI by teammate Tim Paine at the beginning of the season, it has been a challenging summer for Wade.
But the 30 year-old's well-publicised woes with the bat appear to be a thing of the past.
In five Shield games since Christmas, he's notched two tons and 392 runs at an average of 56.
Wade, though, praised the Tigers' rookie top order for leading the way.
"The younger players especially look confident - (Jordan) Silk, (Beau) Webster, (Jake) Doran," Wade said.
"It's good to have younger guys in the top four taking responsibility. They've come on in leaps and bounds.
"We'll have a chat over the next couple of days, leading into the game, about how to go about it (the final)."
Queensland only need a draw to claim their first Shield title in six years, but Wade believes the Tigers have the seamers to pose a threat with a swinging ball.
"It's always hard to win from second. But the Dukes ball will play a big role in making it a result game," Wade said.
"We'll back ourselves."
Australian Associated Press
