Kentish Express Ashford & District
Dickson sights set on a one-day debut at Lord’s
Sean Dickson hopes he can turn his red-ball form into a whiteball showcase when the Royal London One-Day Cup campaign resumes on Sunday. With opener Daniel BellDrummond on England Lions duty and fresh from scoring 81 in the first innings of Kent’s championship clash with Sussex at Tunbridge Wells this week, the South African-born batsman has his sights on his first senior limited overs opportunity of the summer against Middlesex at Lord’s (11am). Dickson was due to make his white-ball debut for Kent last August in the ODC clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston, only for the game to be washed-out. After being forced to wait a further 11 months for another chance, he admitted: “I’m done hoping. I’m just going to wait and be patient for my chance. “It’s too early to say but I’m hoping Daniel is playing for the Lions on Sunday because it would be a lovely debut playing at Lord’s – especially having been due to play at Edgbaston – it would have been perfect.” Kent are fourth in South Group with two wins and two losses from their four games to date and a trip to Hampshire to follow on Tuesday, July 26 (2pm). Dickson hit two sixes and six fours in his 81 as Kent piled on the runs in the first innings at The Nevill on Sunday and shared 162 for the second wicket with Joe Denly (78) who, like Dickson, was frustrated to depart without reaching three figures. Dickson said: “Joe sat down afterwards and said ‘you and I should still be batting out there.’ The ways we got out were a bit disappointing. “It was a wicket where you pretty much had to get yourself out. Of course we would have loved to still be there on a hundred and whatever not out but it is a team game for a reason and we set the foundation for the team.” Dickson has scored 488 runs in 12 innings in a stop-start season which saw him miss time with a freak hand injury caused by a ceiling fan as well as give up his wicket via a handled ball. He added: “It’s been an interesting season, there have been ups and downs. I have learned a lot. In the coming seasons, I’ll hopefully be putting on a lot more bigger scores. “I have got a lot of starts but not really gone on from there. That was something I tried to focus on this week – making sure I don’t fall into that trap again and make sure I push on. “There are still another four championship games and hopefully there’s an opportunity for me to put some more big scores on the board.”