Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade appears set to leave his post as captain of the Victorian Bushrangers and return to his native state of Tasmania at the end of the summer.

Wade, Australia’s incumbent Test and one-day international gloveman, will end an almost decade-long playing career and four-season captaincy tenure with Victoria at the end of the domestic season to move back to Hobart.

The 29-year-old said he wanted to move back to Hobart for “personal and family reasons” and was confident the move would go ahead despite having a year to run on his contract with Victoria.

“I am currently in discussions with both Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria and Cricket Tasmania about a possible move back to Tasmania next season for personal and family reasons,” Wade said.

“My wife Julia and I now have a young daughter and both of our families are based in Tasmania so we would like to be closer to them.

“I’m extremely grateful to Cricket Victoria for the opportunities they have given me and also for supporting me in exploring this option.”

Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide said while they respect Wade’s desire to move states, they are “disappointed” at the possibility of losing the man who’s led the Bushrangers to the last two Sheffield Shield titles.

“We can confirm we are in early discussions in regards to Matthew’s wish to move closer to his family and respect this,” Dodemaide said.

“We’re naturally disappointed at the prospect of losing our Victorian Bushrangers captain after back to back Shield victories.”

“We will work closely with Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania to achieve an appropriate outcome for all parties.”

Complicating matters somewhat is the ongoing Memorandum of Understanding negotiations between Cricket Australia and the Australia Cricketers’ Association.

But Cricket Tasmania cricket general manager Andrew Dykes was confident the move will go ahead despite the unresolved talks between the governing body and the players’ union.

“Due to the ongoing ACA and CA memorandum of understanding negotiations, we are unable to progress any further with state contract negotiations,” Dykes told The Mercury.

“Matt is very keen to relocate back to Tasmania for family reasons, so we will continue ongoing discussions with him in the coming months.

“Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia are aware of the discussions.”

Wade was born in Tasmania but he left the Apple Isle as a 19-year-old to pursue a first-class career with the Bushrangers.

He made his Test debut in 2012 and replaced Brad Haddin as Australia’s first-choice ‘keeper, before Haddin was reinstated a year later.

Wade returned to the Test side this summer, replacing Peter Nevill in the wake of Australia’s series defeat to South Africa in November.

He was appointed captain of Victoria for the 2013-14 season, replacing Cameron White.

“Having Winter [my daughter] for 11 months now and being on the road almost full time has probably fast-tracked when I thought I was potentially going to be moving down,” Wade told The Mercury.

“It gives me a good opportunity to come into a different environment and a different team.

“Where I’m at in my career, it will be a good thing. It will freshen me up as well and make me get the best out of myself and obviously I’d love to see the Tassie Tigers improve and get better year by year.”

While Haddin acknowledged the New South Welshman desperately needed a score after starting his Test career with three single-figure contributions, he called for patience as Australia ushers in a new era.

Maddinson has been retained in Australia’s squad for the second Commonwealth Bank Test against Pakistan, starting on Boxing Day, but allrounder Hilton Cartwright has also been drafted in as a 13th member, and could replace Maddinson in the Test XI.

Captain Steve Smith flagged on Monday Australia might look to ease the load on pacemen Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird with an allrounder. The fast-bowling trio sent down 113 overs between them in the second innings of the home team’s 39-run triumph in Brisbane.

Cartwright, who averages 44.50 with the bat and 41.93 with the ball from in 16 first-class matches, was added to the squad yesterday.

Maddinson made a duck on debut against South Africa in Adelaide last month – undone by a rampant Kagiso Rabada with the pink ball under lights – before Australia powered to a seven-wicket victory.

The 24-year-old, who has an average of 36.64 at first-class level, followed up with scores one and four at the Gabba.

Steve Smith reacts moments after the drama

Maddinson was unfortunate in the second innings, arriving at the crease with Australia in search of quick runs before a declaration.

The aggressive left-hander has logged 235 runs at 39.16, including one century, from three Sheffield Shield matches this summer.

Quick Single: Cartwright added for Boxing Day

“He’s been a bit unlucky, to be honest,” Haddin said on Sky Sports Radio.

“He’s got a couple of good balls, he’s (played his first two games) against two pink balls which is a bit different, so I’m glad they’ve given him Melbourne to give him the opportunity to get some runs and I hope they give him the rest of the series.

“I know (interim chairman of selectors) Trevor Hohns said when he picked this squad that you’re going to have to be patient, and Nic Maddinson is one of those players I think.

“But you can’t hide behind the fact he needs a big score.”

Maddinson’s rocky road in Test career continues

Maddinson was one of five changes in a revamped line-up for the Adelaide Test against South Africa, with Matthew Renshaw and Peter Handscomb also making their debuts.

Renshaw scored 71 in the first innings in Brisbane, while Handscomb hammered his maiden Test century to back up the 54 he made in Adelaide.

“The bowlers got through a high workload in Brisbane and although everyone has pulled up okay, on reflection we wanted to give ourselves the option of including an allrounder in Melbourne to ease that workload somewhat,” Hohns said.

Cartwright reflects on training with Aussie squad

“To do that we wanted a batting allrounder, someone to bowl seam-up and capable of batting in the top six as well, and after considering several names we came to the conclusion that Hilton fits that bill.

“We have seen plenty of him, he has performed well this season and we believe that if called upon he will do an excellent job.”

Australia’s Boxing Day Test squad: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers, Hilton Cartwright

Glenn Maxwell, one of five Yorkshire players from the two teams playing on their home ground, top scored with 85 and shared a 137-run fourth-wicket partnership with George Bailey, who made 75.
Matthew Wade hit 50 not out off 26 balls in an unbeaten 84-run partnership with John Hastings for the eighth wicket as England were set 300 to win.
Victory for World Cup-holders Australia, who lost by 93 runs at Old Trafford on Tuesday, will see them win the five-match series 3-1.

Australia, who won the toss, lost four wickets for 29 runs to be 193 for six in the 37th over.

But wicket-keeper Wade and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (40 not out), neither of whom played in the World Cup final, turned the tide.

Their unbroken stand of 112 in 13 overs saw Australia to 305 for six after leg-spinner Adil Rashid had taken four for 59.

Left-hander Wade, who took nine balls to score his first run, faced 50 deliveries in total including 12 fours as he atoned for his part in the run-out of Shane Watson.

England, who suffered a 111-run thrashing by Australia at the World Cup, threatened at times during their chase but were eventually dismissed for 246 with 27 balls left in their innings when last man Steven Finn was bowled by Pat Cummins — one of four Australia bowlers who took two wickets apiece.

“Me and Mitchell just knuckled down and took our innings deep,” said Wade, who also held three catches as Australia beat England for the 10th time in 11 ODIs.

England captain Eoin Morgan insisted side should have succeeded in their run-chase.z_p20-Wade.jpg

“We lost it in the 10 or 15 overs in the middle of the chase where Australia bowled pretty well” he said.

“We got off to a fantastic start and when we get off to a start like that we should be chasing down 305.”

Morgan added: “I was pleased with Adil Rashid, he has come on in leaps and bounds. For him to come out and hold his nerve, I was very impressed.”

After Australia captain Steven Smith opted to bat, openers Joe Burns (44) and David Warner (59) made a solid start.

Warner had a reprieve on 18 when Chris Woakes failed to hold a hard-hit caught and bowled chance.

England, who had won both the preceding Ashes Test series an Monday’s lone Twenty20 against Australia in Cardiff, started to choke off the supply of runs.

Burns fell when he hit a Rashid full-toss back to the bowler to end a first-wicket stand of 76.

Warner, unusually, was scoring at under a run-a-ball and went when, beaten in the flight by Rashid, the left-hander edged an intended drive to Woakes at short third man.

George Bailey and Smith both hit sixes off Rashid.

But Smith, one ball after clearing the rope, hit a Rashid full-toss to Ben Stokes at mid-wicket and was out for 44.

Rashid struck again when the 27-year-old Yorkshireman had Bailey lbw for 23 with a quicker ball that skidded on.

When Watson, responding to a poor call by Wade, was run out, Australia were 193 for six.

But Wade and Marsh added 93 runs in the last 10 overs, with their stand a seventh-wicket record for Australia against England in ODIs.

Roy fifty

Jason Roy, driving the ball stylishly, and Alex Hales, put on 70 for England’s first wicket before Hales carelessly holed out off Marsh.

But South Africa-born Roy went on to complete a maiden fifty at this level, off 49 balls, including 10 fours.

Roy’s innings ended when, backing away, he sliced off-spinner Maxwell to point on 67.

Taylor made a near run-a-ball 49 before, advancing down the pitch to medium-pacer Watson — who played on this ground for Hampshire — he was bowled.

England then lost three wickets for no runs in four balls — including Morgan for 38 — with Nathan Coulter-Nile taking two in two, before Rashid prevented the hat-trick.

The five-match series continues at Lord’s on Saturday.