‘Proud moment’ as Zaib passes 1,000 runs – but left-hander focused on saving game for Northants
Saif Zaib admits it was 'a proud moment' after he became the first Northants batter since 2016 to score 1,000 first-class runs in a season.
The 27-year-old hit 82 in Northants' first innings of their Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash against Middlesex at Merchant Taylors' School, and that took him past four figures for the summer.
He becomes the first Northants player to achieve the feat since another left-hander, Ben Duckett, did the same nine years ago.
Zaib's half-century was his fourth half-century of the season, and he has also scored five hundreds in what has been a superb campaign for the High Wycombe-born player, who made his debut for Northants at the age of 15.
With four matches still to be played, there is every chance that Zaib could yet surpass Duckett's total of 1,338 runs for the season, but for now he is just happy to have reached four figures.
“I haven’t scored the volume of runs I’d have liked in the last few years, so it’s nice to get that achievement," said Zaib. "It’s a good one to tick off, a proud moment.
“I’ve felt good the whole year, since the start of the season. I’ve tried to be consistent with preparation and I’m pleased to be scoring the runs I am.
"I wanted to try and score as many runs as I could and I would have loved a hundred (in the first innings), but I’ve still got Friday and then another four games as well.
“I feel in a good place in my life, with my family and stuff and I’m trying to be the best player I can be.”
Despite being able to celebrate a significant personal milestone, Zaib's focus on Friday will be on doing his bit to try and rescue a draw from the jaws of defeat for Northants at Northwood.
The County go into the final day of the contest on 64 for three in their second innings, still 300 runs adrift of making the hosts bat again.
With Ricardo Vasconcelos, James Sales and Aadi Sharma already back in the hut, responsibility for the rearguard action is going to fall to the in-form Zaib and the likes of Rob Keogh, as well as the two at the crease overnight - George Bartlett and stand-in skipper Lewis McManus.
It is going to be a tall order to bat out the day, but Zaib believes it can be done.
“The most important thing is to get the lads over the line with a draw here – we’re up against it," he said. "We have just got to dig deep and we know it is possible, we have done it before.
"We just need to bat as long as we can and I am hopeful we will come away with a result."
Middlesex fast bowler Ryan Higgins is confident he and his team-mates will get the job done though, saying: "The ball is nipping around and there is life in in it for the bowlers – we’ve just got to go out tomorrow and if we bowl well, we should get it done.
"The pitch seems to have got a bit harder and it’s probably reacted more off the wicket as the game’s gone on."
Play is due to resume at 11am on Friday.