Jones's showing justifies a bolder policy

David Lloyd13 April 2012

Simon Jones did a lot more than injure himself while helping England to win the npower First Test against India.

Glamorgan's young fast bowler has nothing to celebrate this week, thanks to a side strain that will deprive him of a second cap in Nottingham on Thursday and allow someone else to stake a claim for longterm involvement.

But Jones's performance at Lord's has, significantly, encouraged the selectors to be bold when they picked their squad for Trent Bridge.

Mark Ramprakash and Chris Silverwood were only mentioned in passing, while the places created by Graham Thorpe's absence and Jones's injury have gone to Robert Key and Steve Harmison, Academy graduates without an international appearance between them.

Both are certainly deserving candidates, but would they have been called up if Jones had messed up?

The 23-year-old Welshman captured the imagination at Lord's by unexpectedly bashing 44 runs off 43 balls.

But Jones had been brought in to bowl quickly, though, and that is just what he did, especially during India's first innings. The crowd loved it and the same could be said, quite clearly, for captain Nasser Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher.

England and their supporters will feel nothing but sympathy for Jones, who faces another scan on his side.

But one man's misfortune is another's opportunity and, by calling up Durham's Harmison, England have replaced like with like.

Harmison impressed Hussain with his pace in the nets at the start of the 2000 season. When it came to the crunch, though, they could not find room for him in two Tests against Zimbabwe and another against West Indies.

Thereafter, Harmison, now 23, seems to have spent more time injured than fit and, in addition, there was a feeling he did not have the necessary desire to reach the top level.

Any worries about his commitment were apparently soothed by last winter's Academy stint in Adelaide.

If director of coaching Rod Marsh had thought he lacked the toughness to make it then, presumably, Harmison would not have been called up now, since a black mark from Marsh is to be avoided.

Injury concerns do remain, however. Harmison dislocated his right, bowling shoulder in bizarre fashion near the end of the Academy term when his hand became caught up in his pocket just as he was about to deliver the ball.

Last season it was shin splints. And this summer he has only just returned to Durham's championship team after taking two months to recover from the same sort of problem that is now troubling Jones.

So Harmison is a gamble. Having come up trumps with Jones, though, England are in the mood to speculate again.

Kent opener Key is certain to play on Thursday, allowing Mark Butcher and Hussain to move back to their now more accustomed Test positions of three and four.

And if Harmison shows as much promise as Jones, England will have another fast bowler in the queue now forming behind the still recuperating-pair of Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick to take on Australia this winter.

Test squad

M Vaughan, R Key, M Butcher, N Hussain (capt), J Crawley, A Stewart (wkt), A Flintoff, C White, A Giles, A Tudor, D Cork, M Hoggard, S Harmison.

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