Trott expecting Jennings to go from strength to strength

Scoring a big hundred after being thrown in at the deep end in Test cricket, former England batsman Jonathan Trott admits he is seeing a shadow of his past when watching Keaton Jennings.

Durham’s Jennings enjoyed a prolific 2016 to earn his first call-up to the England side last winter, though he wasn’t originally part of the plans for India.

Making the most of his surprise opportunity, the South Africa-raised batsman repaid the faith in style – scoring a century in his first match just a few days after playing for the Lions – exactly the path Trott took way back in 2009.

And with a Test average of 44.08 for the 36-year-old, Jennings will be hoping the comparisons don’t end there, with Trott himself admitting there are similarities in the route to the top.

“He was called up from the Lions and played straight away, similar to how things were with me, and you don’t get much of a chance to settle yourself in there,” said Trott, speaking at the launch of the Royal London One-Day Cup Durham start their campaign against Derbyshire at Chesterle-Street tomorrow.

“He wasn’t part of the touring party so it happens very quickly, and you have to be ready for it. That’s one of the most impressive parts of it, he was there and able to come in very quickly.

“And with players like him and Haseeb Hameed, that’s what county cricket is producing. It’s a great testament and bodes very well for the future.”

He added: “He scored seven Championship hundreds last year, one of them to win the game against us (Warwickshire) at Edgbaston, and match-winning scores like that are what can get you noticed.”