Reece has England recall in his sights

HAMPSHIRE’S Reece Topley is chasing an England recall after putting his injury problems behind him.

Hand, back and shoulder problems hit Topley last year. He said: “It is horrible. When you are not playing cricket for a year, like I was, you have lost your identity.

“I am only just starting to wake up again as Reece Topley the cricketer. For a year I was waking up and wasn’t sure what I was doing. I was where I wanted to be my whole life, building up to wanting to play for England, and it is hard when you have achieved your dreams and something you’ve worked towards and then it is taken away from you. It is not nice.

“Then, one by one, people don’t talk about you in the cricket fraternity and things start to go away from you, which you associate with cricket because they aren’t there anymore.

“I want to play Test cricket for England, that’s my ambition, so I’m going to have to bowl a lot of overs. Time is on my side as well. I am only 23. There are people who don’t make first-class debuts until they are 23 or 24.

“I want to contribute to Hampshire winning the Championships and want that to lead to me playing for England as well.”