HAMEED BACK WITH A TON
WITH England’s top order in turmoil yet again, Haseeb Hameed hit a 110-run reminder to the selectors that he is back in business yesterday.
It is seven months since the opener successfully negotiated hostile Indian conditions to average 43.80 from his first three Test matches, hitting two halfcenturies, before being sent home from the tour with a shattered little finger on his left hand.
This season, the 20-year- old has a first-class average of just 17.15 and was subsequently left out of England’s first two Tests against South Africa. But yesterday he dug in for almost five hours to compile a 205-ball century as a Lancashire 2nd XI took on MCC Young Cricketers at Urmston Cricket Club.
Urmston CC? It is a tiny sports club in a leafy suburb in west Manchester. There is a modest pavilion but no stands, just a collection of benches and deck chairs surrounding the boundary rope.
Not quite one man and his dog — although there were pooches roaming the outfield, including a pug called Balotelli.
‘I got him on the day of the 6-1 ( Manchester City defeat of Manchester United in 2011), what else was I going to call him?’ the owner explained.
But the fact the crowd here barely reached three figures — a far cry from the 28,000 present for his Test debut in Rajkot — didn’t seem to bother Hameed. His application was fantastic.
Aside from an early lbw shout, his defensive strokes were back to their rock-solid best.
And after a couple of streaky shots down to third man, his attacking play was well-judged until he eventually holed out to mid- on for 110. There were times, particularly during his partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, that bowling to Hameed looked about as productive as bowling at a brick wall.
The sort of resilience and concentration so sorely lacking during England’s embarrassing Trent Bridge defeat was in great supply here.
Those close to Hameed claim his poor form this season is due to a lack of confidence related to his injured finger.
The injury had not recovered sufficiently for him to really perform at the start of the campaign but has now fully healed. Now it seems one big score in a first XI game may be all it takes to seal his return to the Test team.
with Keaton Jennings struggling for form and Gary Ballance injured, now would certainly be a good time for Hameed to throw his hat back into the ring.