England’s Sam Billings hopes his maiden worldwide hundred will probably be a springboard into event cricket after he missed out on final yr’s World Cup triumph by way of harm.
The 29-year-old Kent batsman made a formidable 118 towards a top-class assault throughout England’s 19-run defeat by Australia within the first one-day international at Outdated Trafford on Friday.
But such has been England’s white-ball energy, this was simply Billings’s 19th ODI in a five-year worldwide profession.
Even so, he could have nonetheless discovered a spot in England’s victorious World Cup squad final yr had he not dislocated a shoulder initially of the season, leaving the best way open for James Vince to take the place of reserve batsman.
However with two T20 World Cups and England’s defence of their 50-over title developing between now and 2023, Billings nonetheless has ambitions to carry main worldwide trophies.
“The harm final yr was simply the hardest of my profession – lacking out doubtlessly on the World Cup squad and that complete expertise,” he advised a convention name on Saturday.
“There’s three extra World Cups developing, the lads are very eager so as to add to that one final yr and I actually wish to be a part of it,” insisted Billings, forward of Sunday’s second ODI, the place England will look to stage a three-match sequence at 1-1.
‘Subsequent cab off the rank’
He did his trigger no hurt towards an Australia assault that includes the formidable tempo trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in addition to in-form leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
England had been in dire straits at 57-Four chasing a goal of 295 when Billings got here into bat.
However he held his nerve after managing simply 11 runs from his first 32 deliveries earlier than demonstrating a positive method and loads of match consciousness in an eventual 118 off 110 balls that included 14 fours and two sixes.
England completed on 275-9, however that they took the match to the final over was a credit score to Billings’s refusal to provide his wicket away early in his innings.
“I believe I’ve form of threatened to get a rating of substance for fairly some time and it is simply good to kick on and get an enormous rating,” he stated.
“You by no means know when the alternatives come up. Prior to now, after they have, I’ve put an excessive amount of stress on myself and for me, that was the distinction yesterday.
“As an alternative of attempting to drive the difficulty and gifting away a chance I managed to kick on.
“You possibly can simply see the change somewhat bit — they (Australia) went from ‘the sport’s gained’ to ‘truly, proper they could simply have somewhat little bit of a sniff’.”
Billings successfully performed on Friday solely as a result of star all-rounder Ben Stokes was nonetheless on compassionate depart along with his ailing father in New Zealand and he was below no illusions, regardless that he nonetheless has hopes of discovering one other place within the order.
Promoted
“Ben Stokes is not right here and I do not suppose, nevertheless many runs I get, that I will maintain that spot,” Billings stated.
“Type and harm – as I discovered the laborious approach final yr – can occur. So long as you might be placing your self in the best place to be the following cab off the rank, that is all you are able to do,” he added.
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