Roland-Jones shows class is permanent
IT WILL not lead to a romantic recall by England but the renaissance of Toby roland-Jones for Middlesex has been one of the feel-good stories of the first instalment of this season’s Championship.
Few English bowlers have had such rotten luck with injuries, par-ticularly as they came for roland-Jones just after he had shown he belonged at the very highest level.
There was the hat-trick at lord’s against yorkshire to clinch the 2016 title in the most dramatic fashion which led to recognition by England and four Tests the next summer.
He made a spectacular impact, taking south Africa’s top four wickets in his first 33 balls in Test cricket, going on to claim 17 at 19.64 that summer and seemingly booking his seat on the plane to Australia the following winter.
But then it all started going wrong for roland-Jones when he succumbed to that injury which is the current curse of England bowl-ers, a stress fracture of the back.
not only had the Ashes gone but the injury reoccurred after one comeback match in 2018 and he missed the truncated 2020 season with a shoulder issue.
Then there was knee surgery that ruled roland-Jones out for four months last year.
But when he did play in 2021 roland-Jones proved he had lost none of his class and consistency when he took 25 wickets in six games at 18 apiece and he has started this season with a flourish, taking 30 in his first five, including an eight-for against glamorgan.
Most notably, roland-Jones took 10 wickets in Middlesex’s victory over Durham last week, including Ben stokes for a second-ball duck, and is finally reaping the rewards, at 34, for never giving up after fate had dealt him a particularly bad hand.
‘There was a time when getting through long spells was a bit of a battle,’ said roland-Jones this week of his fight to get back to his very best. ‘But that feeling is turn-ing the other way now and I’m finding rhythm and want to keep going for as long as possible.
‘I do feel as though I’ve turned a bit of a corner and that has helped with my durability and consist-ency. Wickets always cheer a bowler up and right now I’m happy.’
He deserves to be. roland-Jones is one of the good guys who should have played a lot more Test cricket, but he can still enjoy a golden autumn to a career that but for misfortune with so many spells on the sidelines would have given him so much more.