Jack Haynes is determined to try and make his mark with the bat for Worcestershire this season and is targeting big hundreds.
The former England Under-19 player has shown plenty of glimpses of his potential and quality since first breaking into the side at the tail-end of the 2019 season.
A stunning 153 against the then County Champions Essex at Chelmsford in the Royal London Cup last summer will remain long in the memory.
But Haynes wants to start putting together more three figure scores and he has certainly made a positive start in Worcestershire’s pre-season programme.
After returning from playing club cricket in South Africa, Haynes clocked up centuries against Oxford UCCE in The Parks and a strong Warwickshire attack at Portland Road, Edgbaston.
Now he is counting down the days to the start of the new campaign and says the influx of new talent into the squad has increased even further the hunger and drive to succeed.
Worcestershire are next in action tomorrow (Saturday) when they take on Durham UCCE in a three-day fixture at Kidderminster (11 am start).
Weather permitting, it will complete 14 days of build-up action to the new campaign.
Haynes said: “I’m pretty pleased with how it has gone. It’s been nice to come back from South Africa and hit the ground running in the pre-season games.
“I’m very aware they mean very little in terms of when things start for real but it’s nice to know things seem to be in fairly decent working order and hopefully I can take that into the first game if selected.
“It does whet your appetite and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the season and how well we can do.”
Haynes missed out on selection for the opening four County Championship games in 2021 but then earned a recall and finished as third highest scorer behind Jake Libby and Ed Barnard.
He said: “I was obviously disappointed to not start the season and hopefully I’ve shown enough last season and pre-season to get a spot this year and secure that place as my spot.
“But there is a lot of competition which is fantastic. The lads that have come in have really increased that and I think it has made everyone that little bit hungrier, that little bit more driven to perform and get yourself in the side.
“You can see it in training, and in the practice games. People are under a little bit of pressure and it’s great to see. That is how it should be.
“It’s brilliant, fighting for spots, and it’s only going to be healthy for the club moving forward.”
Haynes worked on technical matters and the mental side of his game during the winter before heading off to play for Green Point CC in Western Province.
He said: “I’m always working on things technically. I’m quite a big technically minded player. It has gone fairly well and I’m always tinkering with things and trying to groove my technique and make sure it is in the best place possible.
“A lot of work as well on the mental side of the game, my thought processes and how I was going to approach the game mentally and hopefully that will pay off coming into the season.
“Is scoring more hundreds where the mental side comes into things? A little bit. It is finding a way to do it, and to do it consistently.
“Hundreds are what get you noticed and big hundreds are what any batter aims for, but certainly it is what I am going to be aiming for this year, and hopefully I can do that a few times.
“Working on those things and working about how I am going to go about them and what headspace I’m best to be in to give me the best chance of scoring a hundred.
“I’ve worked pretty hard on my game the last few years, and it feels like I’m in a better place this year than I was last year so that is always a positive.
”I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and want to try and go out there and do the best I can.”
Haynes is relishing the chance, if selected, to bat in tandem with Pakistan star, Azhar Ali.
He said: “I’ve just watched him in the last Test series against Australia and seen what a good player he is.
“Someone with that class and experience is only going to improve us and benefit me as a young player and batting there or thereabouts around him in the order.
“That will be fantastic, just try and learn as much as I can from him while he is over here and see what I can take from him.”
All 12 players selected in the Worcestershire squad will be able to participate in the game against Durham.
Head Coach Alex Gidman said: “The pre-season programme has gone really well. We had some great practice at Kidderminster and we’ve been really lucky with the weather.
“We’ve got in all the cricket in that we needed to get in so far. We’ve had some good time in the middle with bat and ball and, one more game, and then ready to go.”
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WORCESTERSHIRE SQUAD
Jake Libby
Ed Pollock
Gareth Roderick
Jack Haynes
Brett D’Oliveira (c)
Ed Barnard
Ben Cox (w)
Josh Baker
Joe Leach
Charlie Morris
Dillon Pennington
Adam Finch
