Jake Ball, Nottinghamshire’s emerging fast bowler, may have booked his place in the England squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley a week on Thursday inside four startling overs yesterday.
Given the new ball ahead of Jackson Bird, the Australia Test bowler, Ball had Adam Lyth, who was hoping to make his case for an England recall, leg-before with the first ball of the day.
Then, in his fourth over, the 25-year-old had Gary Ballance, a batsman with a similar ambition, caught behind and, next ball, Joe Root, England’s finest playing his first innings of the season, superbly caught low down at first slip by Riki Wessels.
It was a significant haul and while Ball is not going to make the Test side ahead of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Ben Stokes, he could well have bounced past Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes in the pecking order.
A nephew of Bruce French, the former Nottinghamshire and England wicketkeeper, and an under-19 international, Ball made his one-day debut in 2009 and his first-class debut in 2011 but had to wait until 2014 for his first championship appearance. A foot injury restricted him that season but his breakthrough came last summer when he took 39 wickets and was rewarded with a place in the England development squad and selection for the Lions against Pakistan in Dubai.
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“He got fitter and stronger during the winter,” Chris Read, Nottinghamshire’s captain and wicketkeeper, said. “Now he is genuinely lively and he does plenty with the ball.”
At least Alex Lees, who could have been dropped to make way for Root after scoring only 47 in four innings this season, looked secure and Jonny Bairstow joined him in a rescuing, fourth-wicket stand of 83 before Harry Gurney had him leg-before. Lees, dropped on 88, finished unbeaten on 91.
Batting hopefuls must impress
The main contenders for England top-order places failed to state their cases yesterday after Alex Hales (36) and James Vince (25) missed out on Sunday.
Gary Ballance (Yorkshire) 7
Sam Robson (Middlesex) 5
Nick Compton (Middlesex) 1
Adam Lyth (Yorkshire) 0
But three outsiders took advantage
Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent) 84
Alex Lees (Yorkshire) 91 n.o.
Mark Stoneman (Durham) 57