Trott admits England need big totals

COLOMBO  Jonathan Trott has admitted it is time for England’s batsmen to start performing when the second Test gets under way in Colombo on Tuesday.

Sunday, April 01, 2012
Jonathan Trott continued to bat steadily on the fourth day of the first Test. Net photo.

COLOMBO  Jonathan Trott has admitted it is time for England’s batsmen to start performing when the second Test gets under way in Colombo on Tuesday.England have lost their last four Tests - including the opener to the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Galle last week - mainly as the result of a misfiring batting line-up.Trott bucked the trend with a defiant century in Galle but knows the entire bartting unit has to contribute if England are to avoid a second successive Test series whitewash.Trott told Sky Sports: "The guys are obviously very disappointed. Losing the first game of any series is a bit of a setback but we have a chance to set that right here. The guys have been training hard so hopefully we can put five good days of cricket together.”The bowlers have little to reproach themselves for but it is the lack of runs which has proved so costly over the winter."When we have won Test matches we have scored big runs,” Trott added. "It is obviously a common factor in winning Test matches. Our thoughts are no different - we still want to go out there and put big totals up in first innings."We haven’t been able to do that in the last couple of games in the UAE and here but we are no different as a team, we haven’t changed our way of playing, it just hasn’t worked out for us."It is not through lack of effort. The bowlers have done magnificently and it is our job now as a batting unit to complement them and put together a winning combination.”On the specifics of England’s failings, Trott said: "We have lost a lot of wickets in clusters. I think in the past if we have lost a couple of wickets, guys have been able to steady the ship and we have been able to get through the session pretty unscathed.