30 June 2025 ko Taunton mein khele gaye County Championship Division One ke 43rd match mein, Nottinghamshire ke opener Ben Slater ne ek shandaar shatak (116 not out, 224 balls, 14 fours) lagakar apni team ko Somerset ke 379 runs ke jawab mein 214/3 tak pahunchaya. Somerset ne pehle batting karte hue Tom Banton (84) aur Matt Henry (41* off 29 balls) ke saath ek mazboot score khada kiya. Lekin Slater ki shant aur disciplined batting ne Nottinghamshire ko match mein banaye rakha, jabki Somerset ke bowlers, jaise Jack Leach (1/42) aur Craig Overton, ne kafi pressure banaya.
Positives
Slater ki innings patience aur technique ka ek shandaar example thi. Unhone 171 balls mein apna 15th first-class shatak poora kiya, jo unka season ka pehla aur Taunton mein pehla shatak tha. Unki partnerships—Haseeb Hameed (24) ke saath 38, Freddie McCann (20) ke saath 66, aur Jack Haynes (34*) ke saath 71 runs—ne Nottinghamshire ko stability di. Yeh performance unki consistency ko dikhati hai, jaise ki pichle match mein Yorkshire ke khilaf unhone 74* banaye the. Ek chhoti team ke player ke roop mein, Slater ka yeh effort unki capability aur mental strength ko saabit karta hai, jabki Somerset jaise strong team ke bowlers ne unhe challenge kiya.
Negatives
Nottinghamshire ke liye, teesra wicket girne ke baad bhi unka run rate thoda slow raha, jo match ko draw ki taraf le ja sakta hai. Somerset ke bowlers ne koi loose balls nahi di, aur Jack Leach ne 25 overs mein sirf 42 runs diye. Nottinghamshire ke middle order, jaise Joe Clarke (18), ka jaldi out hona ek chinta ka vishay hai. Pichle saal ke ek match mein bhi, Somerset ke khilaf Notts ke batsmen starts ke bawajood bade score nahi bana paye the, jo ek recurring issue ho sakta hai.
Player Stats Table
| Player | Innings | Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Slater | Not Out | 116 | 224 | 14 | 0 |
| Haseeb Hameed | Out | 24 | – | – | – |
| Freddie McCann | Out | 20 | – | – | – |
| Jack Haynes | Not Out | 34 | – | – | – |
| Tom Banton | Out | 84 | – | 8 | 0 |
| Matt Henry | Not Out | 41 | 29 | 4 | 3 |
Historical Context
Slater ka yeh shatak unke career ka ek aur milestone hai. 2022 mein unhone Durham ke khilaf 225* banaye the, jo unka maiden double century tha. Pichle saal Somerset ke khilaf ek match mein unhone 168* banaye, lekin woh draw raha kyunki pitch flat thi. Yeh dikhata hai ki Slater tough situations mein bhi consistent rahe hain. Doosri taraf, Somerset ke Tom Banton ne bhi apni 84 runs ki innings mein resilience dikhayi, jo 2003 mein Marcus Trescothick ke ek memorable shatak ki yaad dilata hai, jab unhone pressure mein team ko sambhala tha.
Conclusion
Ben Slater ka shatak Nottinghamshire ke liye ek chhoti jeet jaisa hai, khaas kar jab Somerset ke experienced bowlers ne unhe challenge kiya. Yeh innings unki chhoti team ke liye ek bada statement hai, jo Division One mein top par hai. Lekin, match ke aage badhne ke liye, Notts ko apna run rate badhana hoga aur middle order ko consistent hona hoga.
