Gareth Batty: England selectors will have an eye on Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns

 
Blast: The batting group have been piling on the runs on some flat pitches
Gareth Batty10 July 2014

After five weeks of very hectic scheduling, we’re now heading into a week where we only need to focus on the NatWest T20 Blast and without looking too far forward, a couple of good results can secure us a quarter-final spot.

It’s great we can just concentrate on one format and hopefully this will transfer into our performances.

Although combining the two formats has been hard work, the last period of time has actually been a nice upward curve for our squad, with some good results coming our way. This is a credit to the hard work put in by the players, coaches and our medical staff — who have worked tirelessly to keep us on the field with a good mental attitude.

The batting group have been piling on the runs on some flat pitches, led by our two young openers Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns. The England selectors will have an eye on their development, along with the power of Jason Roy coming in when a platform has been set. It’s also been incredible to see how fast bowler Matthew Dunn has gone over the last five weeks, never shying away from hard work and showing massive determination to keep bowling at his peak. I’m sure his development will also not have gone unnoticed in England circles.

Our main focus this week is at The Kia Oval in front of another massive crowd. Over the summer, these crowds have given the boys an extra 10 per cent energy, which has helped us achieve some of the excellent results we’ve had. As well as winning we always aim to entertain and I’m sure that all of the 100,000 people who have come along have had a fantastic time.

Our games against Glamorgan tomorrow and Somerset on Wednesday are our last home group matches in the competition, so if you’ve been thinking about coming down and seeing what all the fuss is about — now’s your chance!

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