ROY OF THE OVERS
Net fans inspire Jason to rekindle T20 form
JASON ROY forgot how it felt to bat in front of a crowd – until 20 fans turned up to watch him at net practice.
Now he’s got to remember how to make big scores.
Since the 2019 World Cup Final heart-stopper against New Zealand, England’s opener has scored just one international half-century in 16 white-ball innings.
A nation remains eternally grateful for his pinpoint throw from the mid-wicket boundary to run out Martin Guptill in the ‘super over’ drama at Lord’s 20 months ago.
But Roy is keen to remind England fans of his clean hitting and match-winning capacity in the T20 series against India, which is tied at 1-1 going into today’s third instalment in Ahmedabad.
Roy, who has scored 49 and 46 so far in the series, said: “The whole year that has just gone, with no crowds and everything that is going on, puts loads of stuff in perspective. I hadn’t played enough
cricket so I needed to play in the Big Bash – and the moment I got there, before the first game, I had 20-odd people watching me in the nets.
“I had a sense of an adrenalin rush and belonging again and it was the most incredible feeling.
“Playing in front of crowds makes you realise that they mean a huge amount to us as sportsmen.”
Roy’s buzz from appreciative crowds will be short-lived. A rise in Covid cases locally means the rest of the T20 series will be behind closed doors – in a stadium which holds 110,000 spectators.
He is only 15 runs short of 1,000 in T20 internationals and his strike rate – 143.79 runs per 100 balls – is better than Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Kevin Pietersen, the only four men with more runs than him.
To date, only Hales and Dawid Malan have cracked the three-figure barrier for England and Roy added: “To score a hundred in the T20 format, you have to be ultra aggressive.
“If you live by the sword, you’ve got to be willing to die by it.” THE Ahmedabad pitch on which India beat England in two days in the third Test will not be punished by the ICC.
The surface was given an ‘average’ rating by match referee Javagal Srinath, meaning it will not earn any demerit points and avoids the prospect of venues being suspended from hosting international matches.
ROB PAGE insists Gareth Bale won’t go missing when he plays for Wales this month.
Record scorer Bale is in line to win his 88th cap on March 24 against Belgium in Wales’ opening World Cup qualifier in Leuven.
He will be looking to add to his 33 international goals after bagging 10 on loan for Tottenham from Real Madrid.
Bale, 31, was subbed in the 57th minute in the 2-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday, though, when Jose Mourinho accused his stars of “hiding”.
But Wales caretaker Page, in charge with Ryan Giggs still on leave, said: “He’s been first class every camp.
“He’s first through the door, he loves coming away to play for his country and I have enjoyed working with him.
“When you are a professional footballer, you set yourself up for criticism and he has taken his fair share of that since he has come back to Tottenham.
“But he is playing well. He is enjoying his football and playing with a smile on his face.
“He can’t worry about what people are saying about him, and he doesn’t.
“I know Gareth really well now and he is not influenced by that at all.
“At club level it has been
difficult but he would turn up, do his work and be the ultimate professional. “That is what we get from him. He knew he would get his chance at Spurs and knew it would come good.”
Page is preparing Wales for their World Cup qualifiers away to Belgium and at home to Czech Republic, games which fall either side of a friendly in
Cardiff against Mexico. He remains at the helm with boss Giggs still on “special leave” following his November 1 arrest on suspicion of assaulting his onoff girlfriend.
Giggs, whose bail from Greater Manchester Police was extended until May 1, is waiting to learn if there is a case to answer, with his file still with the CPS. Giggs, 47, denies the allegations and his
No.2 Page claims the Manchester United legend is still picking the Wales team.
He said: “I am here as the front man but Ryan will have an input and rightly so.”
Wales have called up former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, despite Juventus insisting the ace is injured.
Page said: “That is an ongoing situation.”