‘From the first ball I just tried to play my shots’ – Jacks reflects on his 25-ball century
The young Surrey batsman made history on Thursday in Dubai, as he blasted a century from just 25 balls in a 10-over match against Lancashire.
The match was a pre-season fixture for both sides, who are gearing up for the county season, which begins next month.
Jacks, who made his professional debut for Surrey just last year, also managed to hit six sixes in one over, punishing the left-arm spin of Stephen Parry.
Will Jacks on hitting an incredible 25-ball ton against Lancashire
A player Jacks has looked up to is former England batsman Kevin Pietersen – and it’s clear to see Pietersen’s aggressive batsmanship in Jacks, who has previously represented England U19s. In all, his knock featured 11 sixes and eight fours.
Speaking to the ICC after his barnstorming knock, Jacks said: "From the first ball I just tried to play my shots.
“After the first few overs my intention was to try and hit every ball for six, and I think after four sixes I thought, ‘I could hit six sixes here’. I’d never done it before and it was nice to do that and something I will cherish.”
England already possess a queue of explosive batsmen at their disposal – few strike the ball harder than the likes of Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. Jacks may well be the next cab off the rank.
