ROY RECEIVES LATE CALL FOR IPL DUTY AFTER MARSH INJURY
STAFFORDSHIRE’S offspinning all-rounder Alex Thomson has secured a loan move for the start of the firstclass season.
The 27-year-old Leek player will spend the first two months of the campaign on loan at Durham from parent club Warwickshire.
The arrival at Edgbaston of fellow spinners Danny Briggs and Jake Lintott increased competition for places, which has meant Warwickshire have allowed Thomson to move to the north east on a temporary basis.
He will be available to play in seven County Championship matches for Durham.
Warwickshire director of cricket Paul Farbrace told the county’s website: “We think a lot of Alex and this loan move represents the best opportunity for him to get first-team cricket during this early part of the season, with Danny Briggs confirmed as our starting spinner.
“This loan move gives Alex an excellent opportunity at Durham to play some competitive games and to continue his development at Durham after starting all five first-class fixtures for us last year.
“We will certainly be closely monitoring his progress.
“He’s due back at the end of May and will have an opportunity to compete for a place in the Vitality Blast team and subsequently the Royal London Cup, where he performed superbly in 2019.”
Thomson has made 14 first-class, nine List A and 11 Twenty20 appearances for Warwickshire and
ENGLAND batsman Jason Roy will feature in the 2021 Indian Premier League after Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped up the opener as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh.
The 30-year-old had looked set to miss out on the tournament after no bids for the Surrey player were forthcoming during the miniauction in February.
The England opener can renew his record-breaking partnership with countryman Jonny Bairstow after the pair shone in the recent Twenty20 and one-day international series in India. Roy will also work under coach Trevor Bayliss, who left the ECB two years ago after helping England win the 50-over World Cup while Australian David Warner is captain of the Hyderabadbased side.
During the recent T20 series with India, the opener scored 144 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 132.11. Personal reasons were cited for Roy pulling out of the 2020 IPL and, after being released by franchise Delhi Capitals ahead of the auction, the batsman will take part in this edition of the tournament, which starts on April 9.
“Marsh has made himself unavailable for the competition for personal reasons, allowing Sunrisers to select a new player after the formal drafting process,” a statement on the Surrey website read.
“Roy will now be unavailable for selection for Surrey for the months of April and May, with the IPL set to finish on May 30.”