GHOSTBUSTER KEATON

Who you gonna call to replace Cook? It’s got to be Jennings after he puts ‘panic & stress’ behind him with an unbeaten ton

KEATON JENNINGS might celebrate with a rum and coke after ending 18 months of torment with a brilliant second Test hundred.

He plundered 146 unbeaten runs against a wilting Sri Lankan attack to put England on course for their first Test win here.

Then he opened up on the difficulties he has been through trying to thrive at the highest level.

Dropped in 2017 after a lean summer against South Africa, Jennings was recalled against Pakistan and India this year, but struggled to make a telling score. With England able to declare and set Sri Lanka a fanciful 462 to win built on

his innings, Jennings, 26, was honest over what it has taken for him to get here.

“All you can do is try and score runs when you get a chance,” said Jennings. “And previously my performances weren’t up to scratch and I’m happy to admit that.

“Today is a very special day for myself and the team and to help get us into a winning position makes me proud.

“The relief is something I can’t explain. Over the last 18 months I have faced some things in my cricketing life I have had to learn from. I have had to develop myself.

“It is just really pleasing and there’s a big thank you to people who have stuck with me, helped me over the last 18 months and backed me through some tough times waking up in the night panicking and stressing.

“At times I’ve been guilty of seeing myself in terms of runs. Cricket is a job and when it is done, go home, have a beer or enjoy a rum and coke in the evening, time with your niece and nephew and have a life away from cricket.

“At times this year and last year that has kept me sane.”

Jennings came into this Test under huge pressure, but was fortunate that head coach Trevor Bayliss and national selector Ed Smith cut through the numbers and continued their rediscovery of the art of selection.

Although Jennings might not have scored many runs in the summer, he had already recorded a Test century in the subcontinent.

Here was a man with determination despite his struggles and through it all he remained a genial, likeable chap who is good for a dressing room.

And when a giant of the game such as Alastair Cook calls it a day, a good team man like Jennings can go a long way to restoring equilibrium.

What he did at Galle was let his batting shine through with a simple method, mixing a solid defence with a liberal use of the sweep and reverse sweep to great effect.

Like Cook, he will never empty bars, but Test cricket needs its painter decorators as much as its artists, and as Jennings clipped the ball into the legside for his ton, the appreciation was loud and real.

He added: “It was elation, relief, happiness, you go through a mixture of feelings. I am not a massively emotional guy so it is weird for me to feel like that.”

At the other end, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler played with more freedom and power, and in the case of Stokes who made 62, looked somewhere back to his destructive best.