Ben Mayes on his way to a century against South Africa A at Arundel [Stephen Nicholls]
Teenage Hampshire starlet Ben Mayes celebrated his England Lions debut with a second innings century against South Africa A at Arundel, a matter of days after finishing his A-level examinations at King Edward VI school in Southampton.
After the four-day international which South Africa won by eight wickets, Mayes sat down and chatted to local cricket writer and journalist Alex Smith, on behalf of the ECB Reporters Network
Ben Mayes described "a hectic week" after completing his final A-Level exam last Tuesday and peeling off his maiden first-class century on Sunday in England Lions' defeat by South Africa A.
Mayes, 18, was part of the side that reached the Under-19 World Cup final over the winter and has made a promising start to his senior red-ball career at Hampshire, despite the county's poor Championship form.
His call-up to the Lions squad, though, came as some surprise, with exams still to complete in business and sport, having dropped geography when juggling all three with professional cricket became too taxing.
"I had a couple days of training and I'm not sure I could ever have imagined how this week has gone," Mayes said.
Starting the second innings with a 174-run deficit, Mayes struck 105 as part of a 189-run partnership with Asa Tribe to haul the Lions back into contention. He reached three figures with a back-foot punch off Dane Paterson in what was only his sixth first-class appearance, all of which have come since the start of April.
It was also the first time in his life that he'd kept wicket in a four-day game, made tougher still by sweltering bank holiday weather conditions.
For that, he worked with Sarah Taylor, newly appointed as England Men's fielding coach but also a world-renowned wicketkeeper, during the game and in the build up.
"We did a couple of sessions and in the first one we just tried to iron out some technical things," said Mayes. "I was probably still catching it like a fielder with gloves on. For the rest of the time, it has been about trying to enjoy it, catch the ball and take the pressure off. From the first day she came down, she was like, 'No one is expecting anything. We know this is a good opportunity for you and if it goes well or doesn't, it will be a great opportunity.' It has been a great opportunity."
After the four-day international which South Africa won by eight wickets, Mayes sat down and chatted to local cricket writer and journalist Alex Smith, on behalf of the ECB Reporters Network
Ben Mayes described "a hectic week" after completing his final A-Level exam last Tuesday and peeling off his maiden first-class century on Sunday in England Lions' defeat by South Africa A.
Mayes, 18, was part of the side that reached the Under-19 World Cup final over the winter and has made a promising start to his senior red-ball career at Hampshire, despite the county's poor Championship form.
His call-up to the Lions squad, though, came as some surprise, with exams still to complete in business and sport, having dropped geography when juggling all three with professional cricket became too taxing.
"I had a couple days of training and I'm not sure I could ever have imagined how this week has gone," Mayes said.
Starting the second innings with a 174-run deficit, Mayes struck 105 as part of a 189-run partnership with Asa Tribe to haul the Lions back into contention. He reached three figures with a back-foot punch off Dane Paterson in what was only his sixth first-class appearance, all of which have come since the start of April.
It was also the first time in his life that he'd kept wicket in a four-day game, made tougher still by sweltering bank holiday weather conditions.
For that, he worked with Sarah Taylor, newly appointed as England Men's fielding coach but also a world-renowned wicketkeeper, during the game and in the build up.
"We did a couple of sessions and in the first one we just tried to iron out some technical things," said Mayes. "I was probably still catching it like a fielder with gloves on. For the rest of the time, it has been about trying to enjoy it, catch the ball and take the pressure off. From the first day she came down, she was like, 'No one is expecting anything. We know this is a good opportunity for you and if it goes well or doesn't, it will be a great opportunity.' It has been a great opportunity."
Mayes pictured against the backdrop of Arundel's pavilion : Jack Rubio
Mayes admitted afterwards that there had been "a bit of apprehension" after being told by Andrew Flintoff that he wanted him to keep wicket. He had previously taken the gloves in a two-day friendly during pre-season against Middlesex "and that is it this year".
"I was nervous and wondered if I really wanted to do it," he added. "But having done four days of it, I know it is the best thing for me. I am only going to get better by doing it over and over again, and doing it to these types of bowlers at this level. I couldn't have been happier with how it went."
He only started keeping wicket seriously last year, and he only did it then to provide an option for his Hampshire Academy side in the Southern Premier League. Jimmy Adams, Hampshire's batting coach, then asked if Mayes wanted to take the gloves for the One Day Cup last August, and he had to be persuaded to go along with it.
"No coach is going to make you do something unless they fully believe," he said, "and it has turned out to be the best thing I have done."
He added: "There are loads of keepers in the county game. Obviously if I was to do it for a number of years and there was a chance then I'd take it with open arms but at the moment I am just trying to focus on Lions stuff – it has been an unbelievable experience."
Footmarks
There were 26 byes across both South African innings, reinforcing the point that Mayes' keeping remains a work very much in progress and at an early stage, particularly with Ben Brown taking the gloves for Hampshire in red-ball cricket. But the majority of those came against spin, including when the ball was turning sharply for Liam Patterson-White out of the footmarks late in the game, and he was generally tidy.
"Speaking to a few lads, this is what can happen at the start of your career," said Mayes, reflecting on a big week early in his cricketing life.
"The results haven't gone our way in my first games with Hampshire, and it has been tough for us, but I have learnt more in those five games than in the last few years. At that standard, you know you have to be at your best to score runs. You have to be in the best head space to score some runs and dig in. That has been a huge contributing factor to me getting better as a player.
"When I've come to the crease with Hampshire, the majority of the time we have not been in a favourable position. It does mean that when you come in here for the Lions – like on day one when we were under the pump – I can use those games in that. And it means I can really enjoy it when we are batting on a good wicket in the second innings and the runs are flowing. I was really enjoying that as I haven’t had a whole load of that this year."
"I was nervous and wondered if I really wanted to do it," he added. "But having done four days of it, I know it is the best thing for me. I am only going to get better by doing it over and over again, and doing it to these types of bowlers at this level. I couldn't have been happier with how it went."
He only started keeping wicket seriously last year, and he only did it then to provide an option for his Hampshire Academy side in the Southern Premier League. Jimmy Adams, Hampshire's batting coach, then asked if Mayes wanted to take the gloves for the One Day Cup last August, and he had to be persuaded to go along with it.
"No coach is going to make you do something unless they fully believe," he said, "and it has turned out to be the best thing I have done."
He added: "There are loads of keepers in the county game. Obviously if I was to do it for a number of years and there was a chance then I'd take it with open arms but at the moment I am just trying to focus on Lions stuff – it has been an unbelievable experience."
Footmarks
There were 26 byes across both South African innings, reinforcing the point that Mayes' keeping remains a work very much in progress and at an early stage, particularly with Ben Brown taking the gloves for Hampshire in red-ball cricket. But the majority of those came against spin, including when the ball was turning sharply for Liam Patterson-White out of the footmarks late in the game, and he was generally tidy.
"Speaking to a few lads, this is what can happen at the start of your career," said Mayes, reflecting on a big week early in his cricketing life.
"The results haven't gone our way in my first games with Hampshire, and it has been tough for us, but I have learnt more in those five games than in the last few years. At that standard, you know you have to be at your best to score runs. You have to be in the best head space to score some runs and dig in. That has been a huge contributing factor to me getting better as a player.
"When I've come to the crease with Hampshire, the majority of the time we have not been in a favourable position. It does mean that when you come in here for the Lions – like on day one when we were under the pump – I can use those games in that. And it means I can really enjoy it when we are batting on a good wicket in the second innings and the runs are flowing. I was really enjoying that as I haven’t had a whole load of that this year."
