Sunday was an inevitability for Harry Tector. In his previous nine international games for Ireland, he had passed 50 on five occasions, three times in One Day Internationals, twice in T20Is. All that was missing was a maiden century at the highest level.
A first ODI of the summer against New Zealand on a glorious day at Malahide was the perfect time to break that duck. The YMCA man notched 113 off 117 balls, albeit in a frustrating, losing effort as Michael Bracewell — nephew of the former Ireland coach John — blasted 24 runs off the final over to pull off a shock win on Sunday.
“That [Tector’s] hundred has been coming,” agreed captain Andrew Balbirnie after the agonising defeat. “I think everyone in Irish cricket knew that. He batted beautifully, a chance-less knock.”
Poignantly, the milestone came the same week Tector’s family buried his grandmother, Audrey. A look to the sky when he reached three figures told you all you need to know about what the timing meant to the Tector clan.
It has been a remarkable year for Tector. A score of 13 not out against Zimbabwe is the only sub-50 score in his last seven ODIs. Yet in the shorter form, T20, he has struggled, losing his place in the side following last November’s World Cup exit.
There are two predominant lines of thought here. Either he was more suited to the greater amount of time afforded to batters in 50-over cricket, or he was misused in the shorter format and unfairly cast aside.
The skipper outlined the former in advance of this New Zealand series: “We knew he was a really good 50-over player for us. T20, he didn’t get picked for the tour we had before Christmas and he was really disappointed. He went away and improved his game even more.
“His innings in that first [T20] game against India [an unbeaten 64 off 33 balls earlier this summer] was something special and got us to a competitive score. He sets really high standards so I think he’s only going to get better and that’s exciting for us as a squad but also supporters of Irish cricket.”
Tector was told he was dropped from the T20 side because he wasn’t a strong enough boundary-hitting option for where he was batting, down at number six. Yet the shots he played against India — pulls off Umran Malik over square leg, drives off Axar Patel over extra cover and even walking down at Blair Tickner and depositing him into the sight screen on Sunday — are too difficult to develop in just six months. They were always in the locker, just something was preventing them from coming out.
What’s changed is that Ireland deploy Tector much better now in the shorter format. He is now at number four, where he is in the ODI side. He has more deliveries to face, a simple solution really given you want your best players batting for as long as possible — Tector is most certainly in that category for Ireland.
Instead, George Dockrell — who didn’t play at all in that ill-fated World Cup — is at six and is Ireland’s finisher. He and Mark Adair are the best options to come in at the death and score at a high strike rate from ball one. Ireland’s realisation of that plus the extra backing they have given to their most in-form batter has paid dividends across both formats.
“Maybe I’m a little bit clearer as to taking my options a bit earlier in my innings and backing my strength,” explained Tector when asked about boundary-hitting after he impressed in the India T20s. “But I feel like the shots I’m hitting now I could hit six months ago when I couldn’t hit boundaries — apparently.
“Batting at four, I’m more used to that. Batting at six, you saw how George [Dockrell] and Sparky [Mark Adair] can just go from the off.”
As much as it now looks an incredible faux pas from the selectors, the decision to drop Tector has probably been a benefit. He is a determined character, one that responds well to adversity, perhaps more so than expected from a 22-year-old.
Against the West Indies in January, in the first ODI Tector was dismissed for 53 as he and Balbirnie both got scores but failed to steer the chase home. It took Tector just one game to learn his lesson as an unbeaten 54 anchored a victorious effort in the second ODI.
This doesn’t even take into account that he has not had access to the county cricket finishing school that was available to his great predecessors in this Irish team, making his rise all the more staggering.
He has a steeliness that likely earmarks him as a future Ireland captain, as Tector’s comments after the India series would suggest.
“Balbirnie said for every punch they throw we throw one back. That really resonated with me, just the fact that if you let these guys come at you they’ll walk all over you. You have to stand up and play your shots and be brave and back yourself.
“We’re more than capable of beating these big teams.”
Form is temporary and Tector won’t bat this well forever. But as long as he is offering half as much as what he brings now, Ireland will remain a competitive force.
