INTERVIEW: Arav Shetty reflects on performance vs. Nottinghamshire Outlaws
Lancashire Cricket all-rounder Arav Shetty said his match-winning performance against Nottinghamshire Outlaws “means the world” after his Metro Bank One Day Cup heroics at AO Farington Cricket Ground.
Shetty hit a career-best 53 from 57 balls, his maiden professional fifty, helping to steer the Red Rose to 220, a total which proved too much for the Outlaws to chase.
In the second innings, he took 3-35 off his 10 overs, conceding just one run more than his career-best bowling figures. Shetty picked up three key wickets, pinning Ben Martindale LBW and bowling George Munsey and Liam Patterson-White to break some key Outlaws partnerships.
The all-rounder explained just how happy he was with his performance at AO Farington Cricket Ground.
“It was nice to get an opportunity [with the bat]. Obviously, you never want to lose wickets, but it was nice to have some time in the middle to build an innings, which I’ve not really had so far in the competition.
It was nice to get out there, get some runs on the board, and obviously, to win makes it extra special.”
Shetty has worked hard to get where he is today. Having played age-group cricket for Lancashire and being part of the academy, the 22-year-old represented the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) for two years.
After earning a professional deal last summer with the Red Rose, Thursday’s game marks another significant milestone in his journey. It has been a season of challenges for the off-spinner, who picked up an early season injury, fracturing his thumb against Durham.
“It means the world. It’s been a long road for me to get here, so it means a lot.
“It [recovering from injury] has been weird because I finished university as well. So, I was injured, and with no uni work to do, so I kind of like, didn’t know what to with myself for a long time.
“A lot of running around, a lot of gymming, it was all I could do with a broken thumb. I was just itching to get back out. I was always aiming to get back for the start of this competition, and luckily, I was able to get fit in time, and happy to be able to contribute.”
Lancashire are well-placed after four games in the One Day Cup, having won three games in a row. Shetty reiterated that the Red Rose are aiming to lift the trophy at Trent Bridge on September 20th.
“Anytime there is a trophy on the table, you’re going to aim to go all the way, and I think we’ve got enough in there [the squad] to be able to do that. Absolutely [it’s] a strong squad, and yeah, we want to go all the way.”
Next up for Lancs, they travel to Wantage Road to face Northamptonshire Steelbacks, before hosting Gloucestershire at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground the following Friday.
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