Daniel Hughes hopes his 100th BBL game can be another step towards retaining a regular spot in the Sydney Sixers' best XI and forcing his way back into the NSW Sheffield Shield side.
When the Sixers host the Adelaide Strikers on Friday, the 34-year-old batter will become the 16th man to reach 100 BBL games, having debuted for the Sixers in the summer of 2012/13.
Hughes was a member of the Sixers sides that won the BBL final in 2020 and 2021, but it has not all been smooth sailing for the left-handed opener.
Hughes found himself without a contract after a two-year stint with the Sydney Thunder ended in 2015 and was the odd man out at the selection table last summer, playing only three BBL games.
But with an unbeaten 60, Hughes guided the Sixers to victory over the Hobart Hurricanes in their last start, his first match of the tournament.
Hughes is hopeful that knock, and another big one in his milestone match, can help him become a regular of the XI once again this summer.
"I think so," Hughes said.
"With this club, there's always good players sitting on the bench or waiting to come in.
"So every time you go out there, you try and perform at your best. I've just got to keep trying to score runs and do what I can for the team.
"I know last year was frustrating for me, not being in the team.
"'Shippy' (coach Greg Shipperd) and Moises (Henriques, Sixers captain) would come to me at every game and say, 'Look, we haven't found a spot for you this game but always be ready'.
"Even last game, 'Moey' got a little bit emotional when I came back in the team. He just said, 'I'm glad to see you do well, you're always team-first, you do anything you can for the team'."
Hughes is hopeful he can parlay good BBL form into a recall for the Blues, who dropped him for the last game before the Sheffield Shield went on break.
"I'll definitely be using the Big Bash to score runs and try get back in the Shield team," he said.
A Cowra kid who made good in the big smoke, Hughes said reaching 100 games in the BBL was "a dream come true".
"Even when I moved to Sydney I didn't think I was coming down here to play professional cricket," he said.
"I was a greenkeeper to start with, I just moved down here to see how far I could go in club cricket and play first grade.
"I'm just honoured to put this shirt on."
