Jonathan Trott speaks to ecb.co.uk about the Oval Ashes Test and his debut four years ago
Having celebrated winning the Ashes at the end of his Test debut four years ago, Jonathan Trott will not countenance similar celebrations on the back of a defeat this week at the Kia Oval.
In 2009 Trott made his longest-format bow at the same ground with England needing victory to regain the urn. The solid right-handed batsman remarkably hit 41 and 119 from number five as the hosts won by 197 runs.
Four years on, almost to the day, England go into the Investec Series finale 3-0 up with the Ashes therefore retained. Rather than focus on the thought of a record home series win, though, Trott is motivating himself with the idea of celebrating the series triumph with another Test success.
Speaking exclusively to ecb.co.uk, he explained: “I don’t think it’s a case of looking at 4-0. I think it’s a case of seeing that there’s one Test to go.
“I don’t think that anyone wants to go into a Test match being happy with a draw. Nobody wants to receive the urn on the stage having lost the Test match, certainly.
“I think it’s a case of not looking too far ahead, of what can happen, and winning 4-0, and it’s the first time it can happen, that England have done that against Australia in England.
“We just go out and play like we have in the last couple of games and hopefully we’ll be alright. It will be fantastic to win 4-0.”
Trott, now well established as England’s Test number three, is aiming to again stamp his mark on an Oval Ashes game.
The 32-year-old with 47 Test caps does not want to get distracted by his series batting average of 24.25 - in contrast to a format mean of 47.33 - but to make an all-round contribution with an emphasis on runs.
“It’s one of those frustrating things, what makes cricket such a fascinating game, but also a very, very tough game at times,” he continued. “Sometimes you don’t quite understand it or sometimes you can look for things that aren’t there.
“I think at a point now where I’ve played quite a bit of cricket and I’m pretty experienced. It’s important not to go searching for too much, just continue to work hard with the guys and not only look at the runs as a contribution, but also look at your contribution in the field, with your team-mates and in the changing room.
“It can be quite easy as an individual or a spectator, looking from the outside, to look at statistics or a scorecard as your contribution. So it is important to get runs I suppose and contribute that part but there’s always other ways you can contribute to the team doing well.
“We’ve got a Test match at The Oval and I feel in very good form and hopefully I can kick on and get a big score.”
Reflecting on his time since breaking into the Test team - during which he has won the Ashes Down Under, helped England to number one in the rankings and been ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2011 - Trott said: “A lot’s happened since then.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs, a lot of good times actually so I’m very, very lucky, the cricket that we have played and the cricket that I’ve played. So hopefully it can be good memories and it can be something similar to four years ago.”