After two seasons of sharing Victoria's wicketkeeping duties with Matthew Wade, Adam Crosthwaite headed north to Sydney following the 2008-09 summer in the hope of winning greater opportunities with New South Wales. There was no state contract for Crosthwaite with the Blues, but he felt he had a greater chance of first-class action there than in Melbourne, where he had been usurped by the younger Wade. In 2008-09, Crosthwaite played only two Sheffield Shield matches, both times as a specialist batsman, although he remained Victoria's one-day and Twenty20 gloveman. However, his relocation meant he gave up the chance to be part of Victoria's Champions League campaign in India. The previous summer, the selectors turned to Crosthwaite late in the season when Wade's batting form fell away, and Crosthwaite played in the final loss to New South Wales. The reverse had happened to Crosthwaite in 2005-06, when he was the incumbent and lost his position to Nathan Pilon for the decider.
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