Sam Billings and Ollie Pope face long lay-offs as England worries mount
Sam Billings and Ollie Pope face missing most of the current domestic season after dislocating a shoulder in separate incidents, giving England further injury concerns going into a busy period of white-ball fixtures.
Billings was expected to play in next Friday’s one-day international against Ireland and the T20 against Pakistan on 5 May but was hurt in Kent’s Royal London One-Day Cup match against Glamorgan on Thursday, with the Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes called up in his place. Billings was treated with oxygen on the field before being taken to hospital in Cardiff for a scan.
On Friday Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, said: “Sam has seen a specialist this morning [26 April], where he underwent a scan to assess the extent of his injury. The scan highlighted significant damage to his shoulder, meaning he will require surgical intervention. This surgery has been scheduled for next week and it is anticipated that he will be back to fitness within three to five months.”
Later on the same day, Surrey confirmed that Pope had also dislocated a shoulder while fielding in Tuesday’s One-Day Cup win over Essex.
“Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action,” read a Surrey statement. “It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current domestic season.”
With England’s first-choice wicketkeepers Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow both being rested, Foakes has got the call after some outstanding recent form in the One-Day Cup. On Thursday he made 71 from 80 balls against Middlesex, his third half-century in successive games. The call-up gives him another chance to impress after being named Man of the Series in his maiden Test tour of Sri Lanka last year – seizing his chance after injury sidelined Bairstow.
Though he was not in England’s World Cup squad, Billings had been looking to press his claims for selection as a batting reserve. Instead his first Kent appearance of the season after a stint in the IPL with Chennai Super Kings was cut short in the opening over.
He and Pope now join a list of injury concerns for England which also includes Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and Joe Denly. Morgan is dealing with sore shins, while both Roy and Denly have suffered back spasms.
Vince sends England message with 190 for Hampshire
In the Royal London One-Day Cup, James Vince sent a hint to the England selectors by smashing a career-best 190 to help Hampshire to a total of 331 for eight in the One-Day Cup at the Ageas Bowl. Vince faced 154 balls, hitting 15 fours and five sixes, and shared a fifthwicket stand of 186 with Liam Dawson (73). In reply, Gloucestershire were dismissed for 246 in the 44th over with Mason Crane the pick of the bowlers, the leg-spinner taking three for 64.
Elsewhere, Billy Godleman scored a third successive century in the competition as Derbyshire, chasing a revised target of 225 in 22 overs, and Yorkshire tied a thriller at Headingley. Nottinghamshire defeated Leicester by 87 runs (D/L method) after passing 400 with the bat. Six Notts batsmen hit half-centuries, Ben Duckett top-scoring with 86.
Durham returned to winning ways with a routine seven-wicket victory at Warwickshire, with Alex Lees hitting an unbeaten 78 from 69 balls, while Hamish Rutherford made 126 as Worcestershire beat Northamptonshire by 20 runs.