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Your support makes all the difference.Liam Plunkett’s last-gasp six brought England’s first summer ODI against Sri Lanka to a dramatic conclusion on Tuesday. For much of the game the home side looked odds-on to lose, so a tie must have felt like victory – however much Eoin Morgan tried to play it down afterwards.
Ten years ago Plunkett was in action against the same opponents. I was at Lord’s for the first test of that season and saw him make his debut appearance on home soil following two tests during the preceding winter’s tours – one against Pakistan, the other against India. Joining him in the attack alongside Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff was another new boy, Sajid Mahmood, who went on to pick up five wickets in the match to Plunkett’s one. Duncan Fletcher, then coach, valued pace of course and on that measurement alone, Mahmood seemed perhaps a better bet. Sure enough, he was taken to Australia later in the year – but never played another test after that ignominious Ashes whitewash.
Plunkett managed to miss the Ashes disaster and was recalled for the visit of the West Indies in 2007. But by June he too was a reject. Having both been dropped from the one-day team too, it was hard to envisage a way back for either player.
Sure enough, Mahmood gradually faded from the scene – one, rather unsuccessful ODI appearance in 2009 notwithstanding. He left Lancashire to go on loan to Somerset before transferring to Essex, where he took 11 wickets in 12 matches over two seasons. And that, for Saj, was that.
With that comparison in mind, Plunkett’s resurgence in the last two years is all the more remarkable. He may be three years younger than Mahmood, but his transformation into an out-and-out fast bowler is no less impressive. Moving to Yorkshire from Durham was a gamble which paid handsome dividends and helped Plunkett to understand what kind of bowler he ought to be. If it wasn’t for injury, he would surely have played more than four tests since his 2014 comeback.
Still, if Plunkett excels in the remaining limited over games against Sri Lanka, the selectors may have to take note. After all, with Steven Finn’s test form less than consistent, all it would take is an injury to one of the senior men for a chance to arise. For all those years in the wilderness, Plunkett deserves his second coming.
Edwards gone but early signs are promising
The decision to hand over the captaincy of the England women’s team was a no-brainer. Charlotte Edwards had been in post for a decade, which is far longer than most captains would serve, and had begun to look off the pace tactically after a long period of success.
To dispense with her services as a player was a much riskier call – not one I agreed with. So coach Mark Robinson will be breathing a major sigh of relief after the double demolition of Pakistan this week. Even better, among the stand out performers in England’s new dawn was skipper Heather Knight, who took five wickets and scored an unbeaten fifty in the first game. With a re-jigged top order (now also missing wicket-keeper Sarah Taylor) looking in decent nick, the early signs are all positive.
Indeed, having a settled top six is vital. There has been too much chopping and changing in recent times, which does not help players’ confidence because they are constantly having to reassess their role in the team. Georgia Elwiss and Danielle Wyatt have been particular victims of order-hopping – both now deserve a long run in firm top six spots.
Borthwick, Westley or maybe Ansari to replace Compton
Nick Compton’s inability to nail a big score in the Sri Lanka test series has sparked plenty of chatter about a possible replacement at number three when England take on Pakistan at Lord’s next month. After a terrific start to the season, Scott Borthwick – who has the added advantage of some useful leg-spin – inevitably has plenty of fans. Simply to have a leggie in the side, his inclusion sounds appealing.
Another front-runner is Tom Westley, who has been consistently successful for Essex and deserves a chance sooner or later. Playing second division cricket may count against him though. Some have called for Joe Root to move up the order, with Gary Ballance being recalled to bat at four.
In any event, England would be wise to make a change sooner rather than later. Compton is not a young man and he has had a decent run since being recalled against South Africa last winter. My choice? Well, England could do worse than return to Zafar Ansari, the Surrey man picked to tour the UAE last year (primarily as a bowler) but who missed the tour through injury. He is currently batting at six for his county but has previously opened.
True, he is a genuine all-rounder rather than an out and out batsman, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, his six wickets against Nottinghamshire in the Championship this week may have provided a spark to light Surrey’s stuttering season.
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