THE HUNDRED TO DRAW STUMPS FOR 12 MONTHS
JAMES VINCE has never really been granted a honeymoon period as an England player.
So maybe it should come as no surprise that he still hasn’t been able to get away with his wife to celebrate their wedding last autumn, firstly as a result of an England call-up and now because of the coronavirus.
The Hampshire captain tied the knot in October, two days before he flew to New Zealand with England’s Twenty20 side.
After that he played in franchise tournaments in South Africa, Australia and Pakistan.
And although Mrs Vince came out to see her new husband in the first two of those, watching your other half scoring runs at breakneck speed in T20 franchise cricket is no substitute for a bit of rest and relaxation after the big day itself.
“I got married on October 19 and then left for New Zealand on October 21,” said Vince. “I played in New Zealand, then went straight to the MSL in South Africa to play for the Paarl Rocks.
“From there it was on to the Big Bash. “And when that finished I had a week at home before flying out to Pakistan to play in their Super League.
“When I signed up for the MSL I wasn’t aware that I was going to be picked for the New Zealand tour.
“I didn’t know they were going to rest some of the players so it meant that, where I had planned a bit of a break through October and the start of November, it didn’t really happen.
“It was a long winter, a lot of time away. The family came out to South Africa and Australia which was nice but I was still obviously playing cricket.
“We had looked at booking the honeymoon straight after the wedding but we hadn’t done anything.
“Being a bit lazy and not booking something worked in my favour!”
Right now no newlyweds are going on any holidays of a lifetime.
At least Vince can look back on a winter that saw him win back-to-back tournaments in South Africa and Australia before being forced to fly home early from Pakistan.
With the start to the county season put back until at least May 28, he’s been making up for lost time back at home.
Vince said: “I’ve got a three-year-old daughter who’s giving me quite a lot to do.
“You go from one extreme of being on tour and not seeing them for months on end, to the other, where you’re spending every minute of the day with them. The people that are going through all the home schooling must have it tougher than what I’m dealing with.
“As a professional sportsman you wouldn’t usually get this time. And a little bit of a break from cricket isn’t such a bad thing.”
With the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October, one of the few events yet to fall to the pandemic, Vince would love to remind England’s chiefs of his qualities. “It’s up to me to score runs to try and force my way into that side,” he added.
Until then, he has plenty of time to plan that holiday.
THE launch of English cricket’s new short-form competition, The Hundred, now looks certain to be postponed until the summer of 2021.
A final decision could be made as early as this week at a meeting of the ECB board as they consider options for any professional cricket at any stage this summer.
England team director Ashley Giles revealed last week that no cricket is likely before the start of July, and then only behind closed doors.
It is understood that priority will be given to England’s Test, ODI and T20 internationals, as well as the domestic T20 Vitality Blast tournament.
Former England stars Michael Vaughan and Mark Butcher had led calls for a one-year delay to The Hundred – due to start on July 17 – and it is now inevitable. Ticket sales have been halted, some staff put on furlough, and overseas players like Australian batsman David Warner have already pulled out.
Butcher said: “Even though there has been an enormous financial outlay, if it were me I would wait until the conditions are better. Unleash it when it stands the best possible chance of being successful.
“Remember that it has not been the most popular thing anyway.”
Ideas are being considered by the ICC to save the 16-team Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, starting October 18.
One is for the 500 cricketers to be tested for Covid-19 then put into quarantine for a couple of weeks in their own country.