Jennings ticks boxes to earn Lions call-up
KEATON Jennings’ Lions call-up this winter is just reward for a jaw-dropping summer that has seen him almost singlehandedly keep Durham in the top flight.
And the opener – who racked up more than 1,500 County Championship runs this season – is delighted that his gamble to up sticks and move over from his native South Africa four years ago is finally paying dividends.
The 24-year-old was dropped halfway through last season after notching only 473 runs across 20 innings.
But in 2016 the tall left-hander has been in superb form – hitting double tons against Yorkshire and Surrey as part of a whopping seven centuries in all as he worked out what makes him tick.
Now, eligible to play for England, there were even some who were tipping him for a Test call-up once Alex Hales confirmed his intention to sit out the Bangladesh tour but Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett earned the slots.
And Jennings – whose father Ray is a former Proteas head coach – cannot quite believe how well his year has turned out. “I suppose I did surprise myself to a degree,” he said.“It’s hard to put your finger on what has changed – a bit of belief and self-confidence have been key and made a real difference.
“I think it was more about trying to find self-belief in myself as a person as opposed to just in terms of playing cricket.
“It has been about trying to understand myself and what makes me tick – the margin of error between doing really well and doing badly is so small so it is about making sure you are happy within yourself.
“Coming over here I have fully embraced the North East and it has embraced me. Some of my best friends are from here and I settled quickly, but at the same time when you are living out of a bag and have not found a house then life is always going to take some time to get used to.”
It was Mick Newell who gave Jennings the call to tell him he was in the Lions squad – a call that he fittingly took while out for a coffee with his uncle.
Family has a huge influence on Jennings – whose mother is English but had to qualify on four-year residency for England after he captained South Africa U19s.
“I think my Dad (Ray) enjoyed getting me out of the house when I first came over – but they have been so great and so supportive throughout my life so to get called up by the Lions is a very proud moment for us all,” he added.
“I suppose due the weight of runs I scored people might have been talking about me for the Test squad but that was all speculation.
“I need to put more runs on the board over more seasons to get there – they’ve picked the guys for those conditions – probably one of the toughest places to go. I wish Has (Haseeb Hameed) and Ben (Duckett) all the best – they fully deserve their opportunities and it will be an awesome challenge.
“My Dad has helped me a great deal on the way – with the decision to come over here he helped but certainly didn’t make it for me.
“Now I am starting to realise my dreams he is very proud when I told him and my mum over Skype it was very emotional.”