Trott ready for Newlands return

Batsman Jonathan Trott, fresh from his determined 87 in the second ODI, is aiming for further success with England as they prepare for the third encounter at Newlands on Friday

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Jonathan Trott is confident he can control the emotions of ‘coming home’ to Cape Town and make sure he keeps his eye on the ball for England against his native country.

Trott marked only his second one-day international appearance with a determined 87 and shared a stand of 162 with Paul Collingwood at Centurion yesterday as England went 1-0 up on South Africa with three matches left to play.

The 28-year-old is a batsman increasingly renowned for his steely focus. But he is also a human being returning to his childhood home, and field of dreams.

He is determined nonetheless that such thoughts will not deflect from his intent to score more runs when England face the Proteas at Newlands on Friday in the third one-day international.

“It [being in Cape Town] adds a little edge to it for me,” Trott acknowledges.

“But I’m going to have to put the emotions of coming back here to one side to make sure they don’t play any role in the decisions I make on the field.”

Much has been made in some quarters not just of Trott’s return but those of a clutch of other England players - including Kevin Pietersen - to the country of their birth.

While Trott is adamant that playing for England - rather than South Africa - has long been his ambition, the Warwickshire batsman does concede there is a Newlands factor which he will have to channel for success.

“Whenever I was playing county cricket and trying to become the best player I can be and hope to crack on to international cricket, you want to play at Lord’s and the SCG,” he recalls.

Trott's maiden ODI half-century yesterday adds more to his already high stock thanks to his impressive form for England

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“Then for me, I always wanted to come and play back at Newlands and be part of a winning England side - and hope I can contribute to that victory.”

From an early age, he set his cricketing sights on England rather than South Africa - by necessity, with the latter isolated from international sport because of its apartheid regime.

“When I was growing up and South Africa didn’t have international cricket, I always thought that maybe I could play for England one day,” he said.

“Now I’m really happy to be sitting here part of an England team, just won the first one-day game and looking forward to the second.”

Trott will not allow the chattering of others, intrigued by his homecoming, to stop him consolidating his outstanding start as an England player.

“I believe in fate - it just happened,” he suggests of his move to England, subsequent prosperity in county cricket - and then century on Test debut against Australia to help clinch the Ashes three months ago.

“I worked really, really hard to be able to sit here today and come on this tour.”

There is no way he is going to let the resulting opportunities pass him by easily.

“It’s just the same as when I walked out against Australia in that first Test match,” Trott added.

“I try not to get too wound up about it - thinking ‘It’s an England game, and I haven’t played many’.

“I just try to bring my Warwickshire processes into playing for England.

Trott announced himself with a century on Test debut to help England reclaim the Ashes at the Brit Oval in late August

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“Just like all the other guys in the team, I’m always trying to better myself.”

Trott’s parents, meanwhile, were not back in South Africa to see him in action yesterday and had to be updated by phone on another significant success for their son.

By the time they do arrive in the country, he hopes to have some match-winning runs at Newlands to tell them about.

“My dad phoned me last night and asked me what happened - because they are in New Zealand at the minute,” he explained.

“It was a good moment.

“Obviously, I was a little bit disappointed not to win by eight wickets and maybe try to get three figures.

“But maybe I can on Friday - we’ll see.”