IN-FORM DENLY NOT INTERESTED IN ENGLAND RECALL SPECULATION

Joe Denly says speculation about an England recall will not help him maintain his sparkling form.

Denly passed 1,500 runs for the season in all competitions on Sunday with his knock of 68 from just 50 balls against Glamorgan at Canterbury.

The 31-year-old now has 367 runs in nine South Group knocks – more than anyone else in the country – at an average of 46 and his form has sparked talk of an international recall nearly eight years after the last of his 14 England white-ball appearances.

For his part, Denly claimed he was not even thinking about higher honours: “That’s very much in the back of my mind, I like going out to bat without that pressure and just try to enjoy it as much as I can.

“As soon as I start thinking about that I probably won’t score any runs... I’m just looking forward and if it comes, it comes.”

Denly also has 921 runs in the Championship at an average of 61 and added 163 more in the earlyseason Royal London One-day Cup campaign.

He said: “I’m seeing it all right at the minute. I’m enjoying my batting and that’s the main thing – just going out without putting too much pressure on myself and just enjoying it every time,

“It seems to be going well and I’m looking forward to the next game. You’ve got to make the most of it when you’re hitting the ball well and try to score as many runs as you can because there’s always a good ball around the corner and a few low scores, so I’m certainly enjoying this little purple patch.”

He added: “I don’t think there’s anything technically which I’ve changed.

“I’m clearer on what works for me. I like to keep it pretty simple, I’m not one to go out and play all these reverse sweeps.”

Despite Denly’s heroics at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Kent fell 25 runs short chasing Glamorgan’s 199-2 and he said: “It was more bitter than sweet for me. It was disappointing.

“We were probably not at our best with the ball. We probably weren’t smart enough with the wind, targeting different boundaries from different ends.

“They have got a good batting lineup, don’t get me wrong, but it was maybe a little bit too easy for them at times. It was probably 15 or 20 too many to be chasing. We had a couple of batters who got going, myself included and it’s always frustrating when you get runs but don’t get your team over the line.”