2 Jul 2015 | Cricket
Steve Gatting believes he can help Hampshire recover from a series of heavy defeats which threaten to undermine their entire season.
Former Sussex batsman and Brighton footballer Gatting is in line to make his first NatWest T20 start of the year when Glamorgan visit the Ageas Bowl on Friday, partly as a result of his own revitalised form and partly because of an injury to key all-rounder Sean Ervine.
Ervine, an important player in the LV=County Championship and the shorter format, is unlikely to play for six weeks after breaking a finger.
Hampshire need a respite after two weeks of misery in which they were beaten by nine wickets in each of their Championship matches by Somerset and Middlesex and lost heavily in two T20 fixtures.
The defeat at Chelmsford last week by 78 runs at the bludgeoning hands of Jesse Ryder and Mark Pettini was their biggest ever in runs terms.
Gatting is in the last year of his contract and admits that time is running out to prove he warrants a new agreement.
Restored to the side at Lord's for the Championship match, Gatting was top scorer in Hampshire's first innings with an unbeaten 64.
Gatting said: I have been in good nick for the last month or so. Batting is all about confidence which I lacked last year, but I have scored some runs for the 2nd XI and it is always good when you come out of a bad spell.
I think I have deserved my chance and that I am back in the team on merit.
I think also as a team we just need one good result to get going, so it is up to me to make a contribution.
The coaches here asked me to get runs in the second team and I have done that so hopefully I have come through that.
I did not score the runs last year consistently and I could not complain about not being in the first team.
'I know where I stand, so it is down to me now.
Hampshire director of cricket, Giles White said:' Joe has been scoring runs again in the 2nd XI, as we asked him to do, and this is a chance for him.
We are going to miss 'Slug' Ervine, who has been playing well this season, just at a time when we have had some disappointing results.
Hampshire go into the clash with Glamorgan still handily placed to qualify for the quarter-finals, as they have done for the last five years.
James Vince's side have won five of their nine fixtures in a keenly-contested South Division despite recent setbacks.