Aitchison pleased that hard work is paying off

Ben Aitchison was delighted to pick up career-best figures against Durham, and says an increased focus on rhythm is a key reason for his success. 

The young quick took 6-28, his maiden first-class five-wicket haul, as Derbyshire drew with Durham in a rain-affected match at The Incora County Ground, with only two of the four days seeing more than 17 overs play.

In that time, Aitchison contributed heavily, first scoring an exciting 24 on Day Three to help Derbyshire reach two batting points, before his exceptional performance with the ball.

Having not played against Essex last week, the 21-year-old featured for the Second XI and was able to get a good number of overs in, while he has also been working intensively on his run up with Assistant Coach (Bowling Lead) Ajmal Shahzad.

Aitchison says the recent work away from the pressures of the LV= County Championship has helped him to refine his technique, and he was delighted to see his hard work pay off against Durham.

“I’m very happy personally, just to get that milestone ticked off,” he told BBC Radio Derby.

“I thought it came out alright today. The other bowlers weren’t able to get their rewards, but I’m very happy with how I bowled.

“I didn’t play down at Essex last week, so I had a good bowl with the Second XI and trained with Ajmal. Rhythm-wise, my run up felt really smooth, even with a strong wind coming across the pitch.

“One of the big things that Ajmal and I worked on through the week was my run up, just coming straight through, rather than jumping in, it helps me to be more consistent. I think something just clicked there.”

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