FROM obsessing over Football Manager line-ups to picking the gaps with ease in the Bob Willis Trophy, Ben Slater has had a whirlwind summer.
After a difficult first full season at Nottinghamshire, the 29-year old came into the new campaign refreshed and ready to go having enjoyed a productive winter.
But when the pandemic put paid to any plans of cricket it was an obsession with the popular video game that took hold.
When cricket returned, Slater wasted no time in putting his new laptop down and picking his bat back up – with no player bettering his 425 runs across six innings, first with Leicestershire and then Notts.
Suddenly, the form that saw him score 1,000 Championship runs in 2018 seems to be back, buoyed by the progress made following some technical and mental changes which even lockdown couldn’t halt.
“I didn’t do as well as I would have hoped after the season before when I scored 1,000 runs,” said Slater.
“I worked on a few things on my game over the winter and it was difficult to take not starting the season when we did but I was happy with where my game was in March.
“Coming back after lockdown, when I was hitting the ball, it was like I had never been away.
This story is from the August 30, 2020 edition of The Cricket Paper.
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This story is from the August 30, 2020 edition of The Cricket Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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