Bancroft comfortable with his own methods
Australia opener Cameron Bancroft is keen to establish his own method of success than to base his game on someone else as he continues to establish himself in the Test team.
Bancroft made his debut in the first Ashes Test and promptly scored 82 not out in the second innings as the home side won by 10 wickets but had two failures in the second Test when the Aussies won in Adelaide.
ALSO READ: Johnson: England will struggle mentally
Australia have had plenty of successful opening combinations down the years, and also very different in personality and the way they bat, partners like Michael Slater and Mark Taylor or Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, who is Bancroft’s coach at Western Australia.
Bancroft was speaking at the unveiling of his place on the WACA’s walk of fame, reserved for all those West Australian cricketers to have played international cricket.
The 25-year-old Bancroft said: “I’ve certainly been through phases where I wanted to bat like this person or that person but the more your game evolves and you find yourself a little bit more, you’re comfortable with your method.
“If it works, it feels even better. For me now that’s the journey [by which] I’ve come to be in the place [I am in] now.”
One of the more intriguing battles in the two games of the Ashes so far has been between Bancroft and England seamer James Anderson and he is looking forward to resuming hostilities in the third Ashes Test, starting in Perth on Thursday.
Anderson certainly had the better of it in the last Test in Adelaide where he got the pink ball to swing prodigiously under lights.
Bancroft said: “I think it was a good experience, albeit a really short one, that second innings in Adelaide. When he’s able to swing the ball like that, he’s extremely hard work and he’s very, very damaging.
“That’s just a part of cricket isn’t it? Facing different conditions, and that’s probably a big part of the pink ball as well.
“I think I’ve gained a little bit of confidence from playing different periods so far in the Test series and hopefully I can keep learning from them and keep getting better.
“The last couple of years I’ve been able to play some county cricket in England where the ball does move a lot more sideways – swing and off the wickets as well.”
Latest
-
News
On this day in 2018: Australian trio banned after ball-tampering saga
The trio were handed their punishments on March 28, 2018.
-
County Cricket
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.
-
Women's Cricket
Heather Knight urges more composure from England after New Zealand collapse
The tourists needed just 29 from 29 balls with eight wickets in hand.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australia ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy erupts
The incident led to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft being banned from playing for Australia.