Ben Duckett punched the air, screamed in delight, and saluted both the dressing room and his home crowd at Trent Bridge. For the 31-year-old England opener, that single boundary — a turn off spinner Mitchell Santner to mid-wicket that brought up his century in the deciding Test against New Zealand — was far more than just another run. It was proof that the grind was worth it.
Just months earlier, Duckett's career hung by a thread. After a meteoric 149 against India at Headingley that had many calling him the best multi-format opener in the world, everything unraveled. Fourteen Test innings followed without a half-century. His Ashes campaign produced an average of just 20. The nadir came when footage emerged online of him apparently drunk in Noosa, unable to find his way back to the team hotel. He was benched for England's run to the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Something had to change. Duckett made the difficult decision to pull out of what would have been his first Indian Premier League stint with Delhi Capitals — likely forfeiting his only chance at the world's biggest franchise tournament — to return to Nottinghamshire and rebuild from the ground up.
The transformation began with his body. Working with England fitness coach Pete Sim and Nottinghamshire counterpart Zac Bess, Duckett shed "five or six" kilograms through a rigorous programme of running and gym work. "I had a four-week block when I got back from the winter where I didn't necessarily hit many balls," he admitted. "I went to the gym, I ran a lot and a bit of weight came off." But the physical change was only half the story. "It's just really important now that I use that hard work that I've done and maintain it," Duckett said. "It's something I've really enjoyed and it's been great for my mental space and getting away from the game."
The rewards came quickly. Three half-centuries in his first five innings for Nottinghamshire this summer paved the way for an unbeaten double century against Surrey. At Trent Bridge, rescued by a dropped catch from Henry Nicholls at third slip, Duckett was unstoppable — peppering the off-side boundary from seamers and punishing Santner's spin with inventive sweeps. Sharing a 179-run partnership with Jacob Bethell, England fought back into the contest.
After months of frustration, Duckett finally had his moment. "Everyone saw, with how I celebrated, how much it meant to me," he said. "I was actually quite emotional, obviously on my home ground and I haven't been scoring the runs I would have liked."
The question now is whether this resurgence signals a sustained return to form — or simply a fleeting moment of relief. Given what Duckett has already overcome, counting him out again would seem unwise.