JONATHAN TROTT blew away the cobwebs of a miserable winter with a career-best, unbeaten 175 on day one of the first Test against Bangladesh at Lord’s. The man who made the No.3 spot in England’s batting line-up his own with an imperious debut century in the Ashes clinching Test at the Brit Oval last August struggled to live up to that performance in South Africa and Bangladesh.
But Trott set the record straight in his 270-ball stay as he helped England to a dominant 362 for four at the close. The South African-born batsman, who with the emergence of Eoin Morgan would have felt his place was under real threat, said: ‘You’re under pressure whenever you play for England. ‘There’s always pressure from outside.
The last couple of weeks I’ve just accepted that and got on with the job. ‘It comes with the territory, so you just get on with it as well as you can. I was not doing as well as I’d have liked but I was pleased to do well today.’ Trott shared an unbroken stand of 104 with debutant Morgan and 181 with Andrew Strauss (83), the captain who was rested for the tour of Bangladesh.
Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell all missed out. But Trott and Strauss cashed in after the early loss of Cook for a questionable lbw decision to Shahadat Hossain on a cloudy morning which saw the tourists ask England to bat first. Strauss eventually bottom-edged offspinner Mahmudullah onto his stumps. But while Trott was demonstrating his good form, Pietersen was removed after a wild swipe at Shakib Al Hasan.
Bell, so prolific against Bangladesh on many occasions, was next in and was unfortunate to receive a very good ball from Rubel Hossain which nipped back down the hill to beat his defence and knock back off-stump. At 258 for four, England were hardly cruising but Trott and Morgan then took the game out of Bangladesh’s reach. By Chris Stocks
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