Tongue bowled just 175 balls – just under 30 balls, in old money – across nine hundred games; He might be expected to bowl that much in a day and a half of Test cricket. In an ideal world, he would hope to play a first-class match or two in the lead-up to the series to prepare his body for what is to come.
But it is clear that the situation is far from that, as the tongue itself frankly admitted. “It’s obviously crazy scheduling,” he said. “That’s part and parcel of being a cricketer, making sure you recover well, doing all the things behind the scenes that no one sees, and putting yourself in a good position to change the format afterwards.”
Tongue should be England’s automatic starter in Headingley’s four-man seam attack. He had a quiet series against New Zealand, including his first wicketless match at Trent Bridge, but still had an impressive record of 57 wickets at 29.66 in his 12 Tests; His economy rate is high at 3.99 per over, but his strike rate per 44.5 balls is world class.
It was a similar situation last year, when England played an ODI that started less than 48 hours after the final hundred and duly lost to South Africa, in a day/night match that ended as a contest long before the floodlights came on. Coincidentally, that match was also at Headingley; Leeds cricket fans should feel like they’ve been royally stitched up.
There is a short break in England’s schedule immediately after next year’s hundred, but the 2027 calendar creates its own challenge. The Hundred is scheduled to start on August 3, the day after the fifth and final Ashes Test ends; ECB chief executive Richard Gould said players and franchises would have to use “common sense” regarding availability.
He has bowled sharply throughout, and is the second highest wicket-taker this season. “The body feels good,” he said. “I’ve been recovering really well over the hundred and obviously I’ve been doing some things in the gym as well, running, and those little extras are what will keep me going. Test cricket is obviously a lot of effort, but I’m ready if I’m selected.”
Injuries have limited his playing career so far, but he was a revelation for England’s T20 side in their 4-0 win over India, stunning them with his pace at Trent Bridge. “His speed is high, he throws the ball good distances and creates good angles,” Super Giants captain Jos Buttler said. “He is a wicket-taker, as he is in all formats.”
Tongue’s T20 strategy is fairly simple: loft it, target the top of the stumps with the yorker and the occasional bumper, then bowl the odd slower ball at the death. It worked perfectly on his debut against Sunrisers Leeds: Mitchell Marsh skated to square leg, not only pinning Zak Crawley in front, but crucially checking in with him.
It meant that when Baker hit Harry Brock off the line and was given a pound, he had no right to appeal an incorrect decision. “Fortunately we didn’t get to [wrong] “The end of it,” said the tongue. He returned soon after to catch Dan Lawrence well at deep mid-off, and Liam Patterson-White then caught the cutter.
“We just have to make sure we reset ourselves, recover well tonight and then come back again on Sunday,” Tong said, and he will be back again in a few days as well.
Matt Roller is a senior reporter at Cricinfo. @mroller98
