Duckett's Crazy Week
29 July 2016
On Monday, Ben Duckett (Grafton 13) scored no less than 220 not out, against Sri Lanka A at Canterbury with the England Lions. This is the second highest score ever made by an Englishman in List A cricket, after Alistair Brown's record 268, and the eighth highest of all time.
Over the course of this week, the Lions have become the 11th highest team score in List A history; the most individual scores of over 150 made by any team in a one-day series and the second highest partnership in List A history. Well done Ben!
"It's an amazing feeling. To score a double hundred in a 50-over game is very special," Ben reflects. "It was a crazy week. Everything came off."
Along with a double century, Ben scored an unbeaten 163 to help England reach their target in the opening game. The Lions won all four of their games.
"When I'm playing my best I'm fearless and not afraid to try things. If there's a gap in the field I'll try and hit that gap. I back myself to play any shot."
Duckett's approach to batting has been likened to that of Eoin Morgan. Both are left-handers who find power to belie their ostensibly unremarkable frames, have a penchant for spin bowling that is seldom found in the county game, and delight in working the ball into unusual angles, often playing the ball so late it seems virtually in the wicketkeeper's gloves.
"I've got my spot in the Lions because of the chances I've had at Northants," he says. But it hasn't been easy due to problems with his fitness.
"It's made me a better player against seam bowling. I was always fairly strong against spin, but I've learned how to hit the seamers to the boundary. I've also learned how to score hundreds and double hundreds now. Rather than getting a hundred and out, I know that I can kick on and get a big 150+ or even a double hundred."
Ben believes that his recent run of scores, including an unbeaten 282 in the County Championship against Sussex, has shown that he is "fit enough to play cricket," though he plans to focus more on conditioning work this winter.
He can already count Andy Flower, the England Lions coach, as a fervent admirer. "Ben's got very fast hands," Flower reflects. "This might sound really obvious but he hit the ball in the middle of the bat a lot. He's got a big array of shots but he also held his composure really well. His choice of shot and execution were outstanding. And he concentrated for long periods."
"They've seen the senior team lead in the aggression," says Flower. "I was surprised by the level of depth and power, yes. They displayed quite an amazing array of shots and some serious talent - it's really exciting for English cricket to see this amount of talent. Innovation and hitting balls in areas where it previously wasn't imagined has just become normal."
He is certainly one to watch and an Old Stoic to be proud of. Well played Ben!