Jonathon Trott - England's Mr. Reliable
England’s Mr Reliable, Jonathan Trott, isn’t one of those players on whom acres and reams of newsprint overflowing with superlative adjectives would be expended. But that doesn’t seem to bother the utilitarian, Trott, one bit. His role in the England team is to play percentage cricket, and erect a solid platform for the biffers and hitters down the order to raid opposition ranks, with their wide array of strokes. In an unhurried fashion, with more emphasis on singles and twos, Trott, goes about proficiently accumulating runs.
Even if we turn back the pages in Trott’s career, the consistency-personified batsman wasn’t rated highly when he came to the shores of England from the Rainbow nation in ’03, and made a slew of half centuries in domestic cricket. In fact, during that time, county cricket’s cognoscenti saw Trott’s Warwickshire teammate, Troughton, as a player with immense potential. Soon, all the limelight shifted to the young prodigy Ian Bell. Trott though, just like a true run-machine, continued to set county-circuit alight by scoring gallons of runs. From an young age, he seems to thrive, while playing under the shadow of another player.
It was at The Oval in ’09, in his debut test against Australia when Trott showcased to the cricketing World his zen master-like concentration prowess by defying Australian pacers, and making a masterly century. It turned out to be a gratifying contest between bat and ball, but it was Trott who emerged on top. Since passing the trial by fire with that match winning century against Australia, Trott, has gone from strength to strength. These days, Trott’s poise and purpose at the crease must be re-assuring for his teammates watching the game from the pavilion. His rock-like presence while batting, brings surety to England’s line-up.
In-spite of not having newfangled shots in his kitty, Trott, has carved a niche for himself in one-day cricket too. He has amassed 2771 runs at a highly impressive average of 53.28. In the ongoing Champions trophy, Trott has been the bedrock of England’s batting line-up. Every time England have found themselves in troubled waters, Trott with clinical precision has steered the ship to safety. It has to be said that England desperately need, Trott, to fire in the final of Champions trophy against India.
If there is a minor blemish in Trott’s one-day career, it is his career strike rate. There is an inkling that he has a habit of taking time to get his eye-in, and as a result, plays-out too many dot deliveries, early in his innings. Once he is set though, Trott has shown on innumerable occasions that he is perfectly capable of upping the tempo, and scoring at a brisk rate.
In a gist – Trott’s batting can be best exemplified by how he played in the semifinal against South Africa. With fire in his belly, the impressive, Chris Morris, was threatening to cut a swathe through England’s much-vaunted batting line-up. Trott with his secure and committed defence though, weathered the storm.
Slowly but steadily, Trott, by playing a mixture of copybook flicks, interfused with well-judged cover-drives took the game away from South Africa. When England won the match with seven wickets in hand, Trott’s strike rate was amazingly hovering around 100.