Prolific Stoneman ‘deserved Test call’

MARK Stoneman could not have done any more to earn a place in the England Test squad, according to former teammate Gordon Muchall, after the in-form left-hander was overlooked again.

Stoneman had been strongly tipped to replace the injured Gary Ballance for the third Test, having racked up 761 runs in eight Division One matches for Surrey in the County Championship.

Only Kumar Sangakkara and Ballance have been more prolific in the top flight, and Stoneman underlined his good form with 144 in the final of the One-Day Cup.

However, the England selectors have gone with Essex’s Tom Westley, concerned about South Africa’s success bowling to left-handers.

For Muchall, who spent almost a decade with Stoneman at Durham, that will be particularly hard to take for the opener.

“Mark’s done everything he could have done so it will be frustrating for him to miss out again,” said Muchall, who retired last season.

“He’s left Durham to try to get some bigger runs after he’d got 1,000 in each of the last three or four seasons, and he’s done well this year so he’ll be devastated.

“When he scored 144 in the one-day final, he probably thought, as we did, that he’d shown it on the big stage. He’s the sort of guy who if he gets the chance, would take it.”

Stoneman will miss out on a Test debut at the Oval where he has been piling up the runs, yet Muchall insists his previous form at the Riverside should have seen him rewarded much earlier.

Much has been made of Trevor Bayliss never having seen Stoneman bat. That was not an issue for Muchall, but the former all-rounder believes Stoneman has done more than enough to earn an opportunity.

He added: “There’s other selectors and James Whitaker had been up to see Mark so that’s not a problem.

“But he’s gone down from the Riverside which is as hard as it gets for a batsman because it gives the bowlers some assistance. When he got to Surrey he talked about making some bigger hundreds, and he’s done that.

“All he can do now is keep scoring runs and hope his chance comes along. He deserves it, there’s no weaknesses in his game.”