Welsh Fire may be missing from the showpiece, but Welsh pride will still be on display at Lord’s on Sunday. Aneurin Donald is set to walk out for Trent Rockets in The Hundred final against Manchester Super Giants, carrying the hopes of his homeland with him.
The 29 year old from Gorseinon, near Swansea, began his career with Glamorgan before leaving in 2018. He now plays his county cricket for Derbyshire, but his Welsh identity remains a source of pride.
“I am massively proud and passionate of my heritage and Welsh cricket,” Donald said. “I left Glamorgan a long time ago but love to keep a track of Welsh cricket even if I’m doing it with a Trent Rockets shirt on.”
Donald is quick to remind people of the full name of the sport’s governing body in this country.
“I’m always correcting people that I’m playing as a Welshman, not an Englishman, and it’s something I’ll always push. Glamorgan and Wales have a special place in my heart and there’ll always be that attachment to Welsh cricket. I’m looking forward to hopefully flying the flag at Lord’s and getting a trophy.”
A chance seized
Donald joined Trent Rockets through the auction and had already impressed during Derbyshire’s T20 Blast campaign. He finished as the sixth highest run scorer in the competition with 489 runs, and his strike rate of 230 was eye catching.
That form carried into The Hundred, where he finally got his opportunity when England batter Tom Banton was injured. Donald maintained his aggressive approach, compiling a strike rate of 225 across the group stages, the best among regular batters in the competition.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get a chance, which is difficult with these teams,” he said. “To be able to have played a small part in this and feel I’ve finally put my stamp at this level has been important.”
Donald acknowledges the challenge of breaking into a star studded Rockets side.
“It is tough to get in the side and hold a spot down, but when you get a chance you’re desperate to take it with both hands. As you go up the levels, you’ve got to take opportunities you get. I feel like I’ve been around the block a bit. I’m probably in the best position to kind of cope with that and be ready for my chance.”
Franchise ambitions
Donald’s county form has been central to his resurgence. He credits Derbyshire and director of cricket Mickey Arthur for helping him settle.
“I love Derbyshire and it’s nice to feel settled, they’ve been amazing since I moved there,” he said. “My game has gone from strength to strength and I’ve got a lot to thank Mickey Arthur and the club for. I feel so valued. Getting the opportunity to captain in white ball cricket is a massive feather in my cap and something I always wanted to do.”
Once a Glamorgan prodigy who represented England Under-19s, Donald has never quite reached senior international honours. But the franchise circuit has opened new doors.
“The landscape’s changed since I made my first-class debut,” he said. “You now have franchise cricket and these opportunities around the world to play in front of massive crowds on the biggest stage with the best players and that’s a massive draw.”
Donald still harbours hopes of an England white ball call up, though he is realistic about his red ball prospects.
“Any county cricketer who comes through the system says Test cricket is the pinnacle and wanting to get a cap for England is definitely up there. I’m not sure I could sit here with a straight face and say I’m probably in the mix to do it in red ball. However this platform, and certainly white ball cricket, I’m excited to see where it takes me.”
After The Hundred, Donald will compete in a 10 over league in Canada, having played that format in Abu Dhabi last year. He hopes to feature in lucrative T20 competitions in the UAE, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan, with the IPL considered the ultimate prize.
“I’ve always felt I’ve had an ability to do it at franchise level and levels above, and it’s nice to feel I’m showing that now,” he said. “Hopefully a few doors will start to open, certainly on the franchise circuit, and then you never know with the England white ball stuff. All I can do is keep knocking at the door and, most importantly, performing on every stage and in every opportunity I get.”
Backing The Hundred
Donald is a firm supporter of The Hundred, a format that has divided cricket fans but one he believes is thriving.
“It is safe to say the standard has gone up this year, especially with the overseas players we have,” he said. “Guys who play in leagues around the world can’t speak highly enough of The Hundred. You’re playing with the best players in the world in front of massive crowds on TV. As a professional sportsman, it feels like the pinnacle right now in terms of English T20, or close to T20.”
He also points to the competition’s success off the field.
“The Hundred has achieved a lot of what it’s set out to be,” he said. “It’s been obvious to see how many families and kids are in grounds throughout the school holidays. The product is great entertainment, although it’s not perfect.”
Donald hopes The Hundred can coexist with the T20 Blast and the 50 over One Day Cup, insisting there is room for all.
“The Hundred is here to stay and hopefully supporting the county game,” he said. “While the Blast has probably had a little bit of heat over the last few years, it’s a great competition with good overseas players and teams. It’s a good proving ground, a great product itself which is well followed and well organised. The Hundred is a separate entity but the Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup competitions are good and county cricket is brilliant. There is a good will there where The Hundred can coexist and benefit the other domestic tournaments.”
Learning from a costly mistake
Sunday’s final will be a chance for Donald to make amends for a moment he would rather forget. Earlier this month, against MI London, he was in sublime form, scoring 23 from 10 balls, before being run out after failing to ground his bat. The Rockets still won by six wickets, but Donald was left embarrassed.
“I pride myself as a relatively switched-on bloke, so to have done that has hurt my ego,” he said. “This is probably a good place to get on record my apology. Not only do I apologise to Pete Moores and Sam Billings, I apologise to all my coaches from under-9s and all the way through, because that’s the first rule, everyone knows to run your bat in. Doing that on television in a big game, when I was in good form, was pretty dumb and I have learned my lesson.”
The incident has followed him ever since.
“I’ve seen a few clips of that online, it’s tough to get rid of, and everyone since has been telling me not to forget to run my bat in this weekend. So that’ll be first on my list. You might see me diving into the crease on Sunday!”
Donald will hope to make a decisive contribution at the home of cricket, providing the Welsh firepower for Trent Rockets as they chase silverware in front of a capacity crowd at Lord’s.
