Blackwood promises more centuries in 2021
Published:Sunday | January 3, 2021 | 12:12 AMLennox Aldred - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Jamaican batsman Jermaine Blackwood said his recent exploits with the bat has given him the confidence to go on to score more centuries following decent returns in 2020.
Blackwood scored his second Test hundred for the West Indies against New Zealand in the first Test in Hamilton recently, following up on his 95 against England in the first Test in July.
The diminutive right-hander ended the year as the West Indies’ leading run-scorer in 2020, racking up 427 runs in the 10 innings he batted in last year.
His exploits did not go unnoticed, as he was recently selected in the ESPN Cricinfo Test Team of the Year, alongside the likes of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
For Blackwood, the achievement is a significant one and a huge milestone in his career.
HUMBLED
“I am very humbled and I also feel very good and proud of myself to make the Test Team of the Year. It is a proud moment for me because it is the biggest achievement for me since I have been playing cricket,” said Blackwood.
The St Elizabeth native said he didn’t envision that he would be the mainstay of the West Indies’ batting in 2020; however, he is humbled to be leading the charge.
“I didn’t think I would be the main batter on the team at the start of the year. My main aim was that whenever I got back into the team, I wanted to score runs and cement my place. To see how I went about things in two tough conditions in England and New Zealand, I feel very good, but I still feel I could have offered more for the team, batting-wise,” added Blackwood.
Blackwood and the rest of the West Indies team are set to leave the Caribbean next week for Bangladesh, where they will embark on their third biosecure tour in less than 12 months.
With a number of the regular players opting out of the tour, Blackwood will be the man expected to lead the charge with the bat once again.
Having attributed his recent run of form to his maturity, discipline and dedication, Blackwood is fully expecting to hit more three-figure marks this calendar year.
“I am going to score more centuries this year. It is something that I always tell myself that I want to do once I get back into the team. As you can see, I have started well, it’s just for me to continue playing my game and try and win some games for my team,” Blackwood added.