I hope that the news is indicative of his fitness for 2025, because for me he is, with Zak Chappell, the best red ball bowler in the club. There is a joy in watching Ben, when the rhythm is there, that comes with watching all bowlers of serious talent. At 25 he is yet to approach his peak, but has already shown that he can dismiss very good batters. While he has only 60 first-class wickets so far in a short career, they have come at good average which, with luck, will continue to come down.
Add to that an ability to strike handy tail end runs - and I suspect that is an area of his game that can improve still further - as well as being a great asset to our catching in the slip cordon and you can see what good news this is.
The question mark is on his having proved his fitness and being able to sustain that over a long county season. I suspect he will be kept for red ball cricket only, but I will be crossing fingers and toes that he is going to be back to his best.
Almost certainly the 2025 version will see a slightly remodelled action, almost always a consequence of back surgery. There might also be a change in the length of his run-up, because I felt he wasn't quite as nippy from the shorter one as when he first joined the county.
The question will be whether such changes protect his back AND allow him to retain his command of a cricket ball that made him such an astute signing in the first place.
He isn't the first seam bowler to experience back issues and he won't be the last. Plenty before him have experienced these and come back stronger after rehabilitation.
Here's hoping that Ben is among them.
There is no doubt he has what it takes at this level and I wish him all the best.
It's good news indeed, and I wish Ben well. It doesn't help that the first five CC games are back-to-back and his workload will surely have to be limited as he eases back. Coupled with Harry Moore's school commitment we are I think two light in rhe seam department as nobody is going to bowl in all the first tranche of CC games, and Potts and Brown are inexperienced/ yet to flourish in this form of the game. Chappell will need a greater depth of support - an overseas and maybe a loan?
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I see the need for an extra all-forms batter. The woes of last season will not be cured by one addition I feel, and the news of Jewell's dropping by his State side underlines that.
Condolences to the family of Brian Jackson. My first watching of DCCC was in the mid 60's when he operated with Rhodes. The only thing more remarkable than the 200-plus wickets that this awesome pair took jointly in 1965 at about 12 each is that the county didn't only not win the championship that year, but finished 9th! I wonder what Brian and Harold thought about our batting then!!
Great news and just hope Ben has an injury free season. Almost feels like a new signing and he will certainly improve the red ball attack.
ReplyDeleteNudger