England newcomer Jake Ball on chocolate tarts, his rugby namesake and taking his chance against Sri Lanka

England coach Trevor Bayliss needed two attempts to recognise his new call-up. That, however, could be about to change

Jake Ball has been called up after his good form for Nottinghamshire (Getty)

Anyone frantically Googling England’s latest fast-bowling call-up on Thursday morning could have been fooled into thinking that reserves were at a near all-time low.

Staring back at them from their first internet scour would have been a picture of a ginger-bearded lock forward, and potentially the least likely looking fast bowler in world cricket.

Jake Ball’s cricket-playing namesake laughs at the potential confusion.

“You probably couldn’t get two sportsmen who look less like each other,” he tells The Independent.

In contrast to the well-established Welsh international, this Jake Ball – a man who has already taken 19 wickets in Division One of the County Championship this summer – could probably walk unrecognised down most high streets outside of Nottingham.

The England coach, Trevor Bayliss, even reportedly needed two attempts to recognise his new call-up. That, though, could be about to change.

Just three years ago, Ball wasn’t so much considering an England call-up as another year of Second XI cricket with Nottinghamshire.

In 2014, just as he threatened to consistently breakthrough into the first team reckoning at Trent Bridge, he suffered a freak foot injury which caused him to miss two months of the season.

Frustration, rather than elation, was the over-riding emotion for the former England under-19 international.

His career was described on Thursday as a ‘slow-burner’ by Nottinghamshire and England selector Mick Newell. The man himself, however, insists that he has always had belief in his ability to breakthrough from the massed county ranks.

“I knew I had what it took to succeed at county level,” he says. “I’ve played a lot of second team cricket since I signed at Notts and I thought I wasn’t really too far off something just clicking.

“Two years ago I had a really good winter in the gym and managed to get fit and strong. I think that gave me a lot of confidence and I’ve really just kicked on from there.

“I had broken my foot down in Taunton when I had just forced my way into the first team. That was a really difficult time having waited so long to break into that first XI.

“It was a bit of freak injury but I broke the metatarsal in my foot. Again, though, it allowed me that time in the gym to get fit and strong and make sure it didn’t happen again.”

With Euro 2016 just around the corner, the word ‘metatarsal’ is enough to bring any England football fan out in a cold sweat.

By the time England kick off their campaign in France, though, Ball may just have just completed his meteorically rapid rise.

Thankfully, the only injury or illness concerning Ball in the past week was the potential throwing-up of a Lords chocolate tart over chairman of selectors James Whittaker after being informed of his call-up.

After being named in the squad of 12 for the Headingley Test, the England selectors have shown enormous faith in a bowler who has only made 27 First Class appearances.

In many ways, Ball’s elevation is similar to that of Mark Wood, who shone in last summer’s Ashes series against Australia. The Durham man’s injury problems, ironically, have paved the way for Ball’s unlikely entry into a squad still evolving under coach Trevor Bayliss.

If the Australian has demonstrated anything since taking over from Peter Moores, though, it’s his willingness to take a chance on raw talent – and Ball, along with James Vince, could be the latest beneficiaries when the Test summer begins in Leeds on Thursday.

“England have shown that they’re prepared to take a chance on players who have performed in county cricket,” says Ball.

“I think I’ve proved how quickly things can change. Two or three years ago I was still playing Second XI cricket for Notts but now I’ve been selected a Test squad to play Sri Lanka. It has all happened very fast.

“I have to prepare as if I’m going to play. Obviously I’ve got to try and impress in the nets. I would say, out of the four seamers that are in the squad I’m probably fourth, but who knows what can happen.

“I don’t think Trevor Bayliss has seen too much of me, too much of my bowling, and I don’t think I’ve played too many times against Alastair Cook either.

“If I can impress them at the start of the week in the nets then who knows.”

Ball has previous against Sri Lanka too, taking five wickets against them in 2010 for England under-19s at Scarborough.

He’ll be hoping to have a similar impact in Yorkshire if he’s handed a call-up next week.