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Your support makes all the difference.Jonathan Trott completed his tour-de-force double century in England Lions’ high-scoring stalemate with South Africa A in the first unofficial Test at Paarl.
Trott (211 not out) batted for almost 11 hours, hitting 17 fours from 403 balls, as his team established a first-innings lead before declaring on 624 for 8 in reply to 504 for 8 in late morning on the fourth and final day.
A fourth career double hundred was a personal triumph for Trott, South Africa-born and back on the ground where he made his first-class debut as a teenager 15 years ago.
His efforts helped the Lions out of a spot of bother too, from 67 for 3 at one stage.
James Vince played an important part in the recovery with the first of five half-centuries from No 5 downwards, to complement Trott’s immovability at No 4. The captain had resumed on 176 out of a day-three stumps total of 507 for 6 alongside Liam Plunkett.
The fast bowler duly became the third of four Yorkshire players to pass 50, reaching his milestone before mis-hooking to long leg.
Young Durham seamer Mark Wood made only five, but Jack Brooks joined in with a career-best 53 not out – only his second first-class 50, from just 37 balls and containing five fours and two sixes – before Trott called time to see if his bowlers could make any inroads in just over two sessions remaining.
On a stubbornly docile surface, they could not.
First-innings centurion Gihahn Cloete fell lbw to Boyd Rankin, and his fellow opener Stiaan van Zyl was caught behind by Jonny Bairstow off the leg spin of his Yorkshire team-mate Adil Rashid.
But after the hosts reached 92 for 2 at tea, Trott and his opposite number Rory Kleinveldt agreed a draw. The second and final ‘Test’ starts in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
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