Hard work and putting his 'ego aside' sparks welcome upturn in fortunes for Vasconcelos
Ricardo Vasconcelos says his run-laden start to the 2026 campaign is partly down to him putting his 'ego aside' and simply focusing on what is best for the team.
That, and alot of hard work over the winter!
The 28-year-old has endured a few seasons of struggle at the top of the order, only showing his immense talent in flashes.
But it has been a different story so far this summer, and in the win over Worcestershire at the County Ground last weekend he scored a second century in three innings.
It was far from easy either, with the normally free-flowing Vasconcelos digging in for his 115 over his 226-ball innings.
That followed on from his 127 from 170 balls against Kent at Canterbury, and going into this Friday's trip to Derbyshire he is sitting pretty in the first-class averages with 59.60 - although thanks to some remarkable innings' so far he is down in sixth place on the Northants list!!
To score two centuries in three matches is a highly encouraging start for a player who has only reached three figures four times in the past four seasons, and he is now hoping he can build on it.
“It's always nice to start the season well and get the confidence I can hopefully carry on throughout the whole summer," said Vasconcelos, who has 13 career first-class centuries to his name. "After a few dry years, it's nice to get a few runs.
“The pre-season trip to South Africa was really important.
"I did a lot of work over the winter and put a few changes in place and it was the first opportunity to really put those into practice.
"And it showed that what I did worked, and I could back that throughout the whole year."
And looking back on his patient innings against the Pears, Vasconcelos admitted: "I think sometimes what I've learned over the last few years, I've got to kind of put my ego aside.
"I like to score and I like to score quickly, but sometimes that's not what the pitch and the conditions and the team kind of needs in that moment.
“So, that’s what we try to do is team first, and we know this year, the new ball's extra important.
"So, if you get through that phase, it becomes easier for everyone as the day goes on."
Quotes courtesy of Andrew Radd