Haseeb Hameed revealed that his method of retaining composure in the nervous 90s was to think about his team, after posting his third First-Class century for Nottinghamshire on day one at Lord’s.
The opener’s 112 provided the mainstay of the Green and Golds’ score of 329-5. Hameed, however, was quick to deflect praise onto the men with whom he shared sizeable partnerships; Ben Duckett (43) and Steven Mullaney (92*).
“Ben’s in great nick right now, so it was good to bat with him and get a partnership going,” he said of his 99-run stand with Duckett, who is averaging 68 during the 2022 campaign to date.
“As a batting unit, we’re always looking to get the opposition bowlers into their third and fourth spells. We were able to do that today and hopefully we can build on it tomorrow.
“‘Mull’ (Steven Mullaney) is also great to bat with because he’s very calm but also really busy at the crease. He scores quickly very naturally and that puts a lot of pressure back onto the opposition.”
Taking Tea unbeaten on 97, nobody within the Home of Cricket was feeling more under pressure as the sandwiches were served than Hameed - a travail from which he emerged victorious by taking a selfless view.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I tried to stay calm by putting things into the perspective of what the team needed me to do. I tried to keep it simple; to take the break to reset then go again. Thankfully, I was able to get there just after Tea.
“It was a moment of delight and of elation, something for which I feel very grateful.
“I’m obviously very happy to have scored a hundred at Lord’s on a personal level because it’s a special place to play, and delighted with the team performance as well.”
Having spent 76.3 overs in the middle, Hameed sees a surface on which batters might expect to have the best off the battle over the next three days, but the Vice-Captain also had words of encouragement for his side’s bowlers.
“We were looking to bat anyway, so it didn’t matter who won the toss,” he revealed. “Broady spoke in the team meeting yesterday and said that Lord’s is a ground where you look up, not down. Weather and cloud conditions generally play quite a big part in whether or not there’s movement for the bowlers.
“It’s set fair for the next few days so it will stay a decent wicket, but there’s definitely a ball in there if you bowl well, so it should be a good game.”
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Be More Outlaw: The 2022 Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge
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