Skip to main content

Jonathan Trott usually starts the summer at a gallop: Paul Newman cricket column

0

View comments

West Indies beware, Jonathan Trott makes a habit of starting off the summer with a Test double hundred.

He did it against Bangladesh - hitting 226 at Lord's in 2010 - and he did it against Sri Lanka, scoring 203 at Cardiff last year.

Now he will go after a different sort of hat-trick at the start of his third full season as an England player against a quick but under-prepared West Indies attack when this year's international season squelches into life at Lord's.

Summer lovin': Trott has a record of starting the Test season well on home soil

    More from Paul Newman...   Paul Newman: Worrying signs as Ashes fever cools north of the Trent 29/05/13   World of cricket: Surrey chief Thompson won't let tragedy hold up his ambitious plan 22/05/13   PAUL NEWMAN: England may have to get used to life without star batsman Pietersen 15/05/13   Paul Newman: Lions ready for next big Test as Kiwis await stars of the future 08/05/13   World of Cricket: Hales looks the part but can he turn it on against spin kings? 22/08/12   Paul Newman: Flawed KP not the only one at fault, but faces long road back 15/08/12   Paul Newman: No 1 priority for Strauss must be his own future 08/08/12   Paul Newman: Smash-hit Styris can't hide need for overhaul of county T20 game 25/07/12   Paul Newman: Let's enjoy Pietersen. We'll miss him when he's gone 18/07/12   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE  

'Maybe being fresh and rested helps,' said Trott. 'Or maybe getting runs for Warwickshire helps my frame of mind. A hundred will do this week. I'm certainly not thinking of another double.'

It would be unwise to rule it out. Trott has become a rock for England, a batsman who made the best start of all on his Test debut with a hundred in an Ashes decider. He has barely looked back since.

While others have more style and dash, Trott would be the man to pick if your life depended on an England player scoring runs. Even now, after he has proved all the doubters wrong, it is easy to forget that his average of 52.70 from 28 Tests puts him in the very highest company in the history of the game.

It is no surprise that it was Trott who became the first England player this winter to finally overcome the demons of playing spin in subcontinental conditions.

His innings of 112 in a losing cause at Galle, which could easily have taken England to an historic win, was the perfect example of how it should be done. Trott puts it down to 'definitive footwork'.

'The key, I feel, is not to get caught in the crease,' he said. 'There's less margin for error when you are moving your feet well.' But he also recognises that, despite England's Kevin Pietersen-inspired win in the final Test in Sri Lanka, the batting unit will have to 'pull our socks up' in India later this year. 

India, for now, can wait as England will revert to the home conditions that suit them best when they take on West Indies in three Tests over the next month they really should win comfortably. Not that Trott will be viewing it that way.

'I think we underestimated the desire of Pakistan to beat us in the winter,' said Trott with refreshing candour. 'We won't do that again.'

Explosive: Trott scored big runs against Bangladesh (above) and Sr Lanka (below)

Then it will be the eagerly awaited showdown between the best two teams in the world when South Africa visit. Mention the country of his birth to Trott, though, and he becomes a little defensive.

Maybe it is his weariness about having to constantly reiterate his 'Englishness' or maybe it is the reminder of England's visit to South Africa just after Trott's introduction to Test cricket, which didn't exactly go well for him.

Follow Paul on Twitter...

@Newman_Cricket

It ended, indeed, with the then South African coach Micky Arthur making a 'loony tunes' gesture behind Trott's back, so intense had he appeared to have become with his struggles. 

'Other people didn't do too well in that series also but you don't mention them,' said Trott. 'It didn't go that well for me but remember I'd only just begun my Test career. It was a good learning curve for me. I had scored a hundred on debut against Australia but realised that I couldn't get a century every game.

'It will be a big series against South Africa. We got to No 1 in the world quicker than we ever envisaged but now we have to stay there. I'd like our next target to be to see how far ahead we can get.'

Trott will be at the forefront of that quest.

Big favourites: It is hard to see past a 3-0 series win for England

Rav justice for Bopara

Ravi Bopara was pencilled in to the England squad at the start of last summer before Eoin Morgan rudely snatched his place by scoring 193 for the Lions against Sri Lanka.

Then Bopara was going to start in Sri Lanka last winter before a side strain stopped him bowling. This time he had been picked against West Indies before a recurrence of a thigh injury ruled him out. Whither Bopara now?

Hammer blow: Bopara has been ruled out of the Test after injuring his thigh

There must be a chance that a man whose face has never really fitted with the current England set-up has played his last Test, particularly as he played on for Essex this summer when Andy Flower was advising him to rest his thigh.

It would be a crying shame if the talented Bopara is destined never to fulfil his potential but perhaps he will forever be one of the nearly men.

  More... Top Spin Test special: West Indies can become history boys at Lord's Bumble's world: Tasty bowling attack gives West Indies chance to upset England England captain Strauss bids to conjure up his old magic on sacred soil against West Indies Nasser Hussain: Sadly, the West Indies have been weakened by wealth of IPL






Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o