ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer believes his half-century on Monday in the Super50 Cup match against Barbados Pride has signalled he is returning to his best.
The 24-year-old had not played a competitive match in early 2-½ months but unveiled a magical 80 off just 53 balls as Guyana Pride rallied to 235 all out batting first at Coolidge Cricket Ground here.
“For me basically it was close to my best. I just tried to knock around the ball as much as possible and if the ball was in my area just try to stroke it off,” Hetmyer said afterwards.
“I am trying to put back-to-back scores in to be consistent and score hundreds and win games for my team.”
Hetmyer entered the contest at the fall of the first wicket, after Chandrapaul Hemraj (35) and Assad Fudadin (5) had put on 48 off 49 balls for the first wicket.
However, he then watched as Jaguars’ top order folded with five wickets going down for 40 runs in the space of 46 deliveries.
Hetmyer counter-attacked, striking eight fours and four sixes in an exhilarating knock to put Pride back under pressure.
“[My plan] was to keep knocking the ball around and take it as deep as possible because I think we had a decent partnership, so it was just to capitalise on that and continue, and then to pick off the bad balls and keep going,” Hetmyer said.
“[The pitch] was lovely [for batting]. As you went on, it just got a little slower as the ball gets older but other than that it was lovely for batting.”
Hetmyer, with 16 Tests, 45 One-Day Internationals and 27 T20 Internationals, is the only player with extensive international experience in the Jaguars side.
And he is acutely aware his contributions will be critical in the campaign as Jaguars seek an end to a barren run which has stretched for 16 years.
“It is [on our agenda] and for me as well,” he stressed.
“Playing in the West Indies team they have some of the guys saying we haven’t won this and that, so I’m just trying to put that to bed and come here and do our best and make sure that we win the tournament this year.”
Jaguars defeated Pride by 56 runs under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.