In spite of the arid conditions that we have become accustomed to over the past few months, it was heavy rain that spoiled England’s summer finale against South Africa last Sunday. The washed-out T20I at Trent Bridge ended the three-match series at 1-1. An unpreventable, yet disenchanting way to sign off after a record-breaking sunny season.
400s in 50 over cricket, 300s in T20I cricket, and a 25-day Test series. It’s safe to say that we’ve been royally looked after by McCullum and co. this summer. Next up: New Zealand, followed by the Ashes that will define the McCullum/Stokes era… right? Not exactly.
Sitting at the front of the press conference room in Malahide, speaking for the first time as England captain on the eve of his first match in charge, 21-year-old Jacob Bethell was keen to turn attention towards England’s forthcoming series in Ireland, initially brushing aside Ashes talk, stating that he’s “not thinking too far ahead”, and that his “head’s firmly screwed on to this series”.
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The series in question consists of three T20Is, all to be played at the Malahide Cricket Ground, just north of Dublin. You can follow them all live with us here on YouTube. Despite the season only just turning toward Autumn, Ireland’s captain and talisman, Paul Stirling, summarized the thoughts of many at the ground in saying, “It feels like we are beginning our winter program”.
A quick glance at the weather forecast last week indicated that the three matches, set to be played in the coming six days, would follow the same suit as the disappointment at Trent Bridge. Fortuitously, the weather is set fair, at least for tomorrow’s opener. Cricket will be played.
England’s squad this week, led by assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick and Jeetan Patel, is an exciting blend of experience and youth, with England’s all-format players (with the exception of the skipper) rested ahead of a monumental winter. The marquee names of Jos Butler, Adil Rashid, and Phil Salt are here, with the likes of Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, and Liam Dawson all keen to make an impact worthy of World Cup selection, when the tournament comes round early next year. The eleven for tomorrow is yet to be announced, with Bethell stating that “It’s obviously been a pretty quick turnaround from the South Africa series, so we’ve not had time to have a proper chat. We haven’t got all the boys together yet”, with some choosing not to attend the open training session this afternoon. It is likely that England will play a similar team to the record-breaking one that took the field at Old Trafford last week, with Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox most likely to take the places of Jofra Archer and Harry Brook.
The main event of this week is undeniably that of the skipper, Jacob Bethell, who is set to become England’s youngest-ever captain, taking the place of Monty Bowden, who was 23 years and 144 days old, when he captained England in a Test Match against South Africa, back in 1889.
Bethell focuses on player management
The Barbados-born left-hander appeared fit and relaxed as he spoke to the press, jovially responding to a question about what kind of captain he will be, with the simple answer of “A very young one”. Upon further probing, the soon-to-be skipper stressed that his main focus is on player-management: “The main thing I’ve looked up to in captains I’ve had previously is how they manage people. Not every tactical decision you make is going to work; it’s about managing the boys well so they feel you’re backing them.” He went on to add that an asset he is looking to take from his Test captain, Ben Stokes, is leading by example. “He’s someone you want to play for. You walk out to bat, and if you’re under the pump, you want to play for him and do well for him. So hopefully the guys can go and do the same under me.”
Bethell has had previous experience with the captain’s armband, skippering the England U19s in 2 four four-day games in Brisbane back in 2022, although he acknowledges that there are clear differences between the two formats; “It feels like the T20 format is a bit more haphazard, you’ve got to think on your feet a little bit more.”
Recent performances allow him to head into this series in a rich vein of form, having struggled for most of the summer, admitting himself that he should’ve played more for his County, Warwickshire. “I didn’t play for a while and maybe lost a little bit of rhythm – but that rhythm came back about midway through the Hundred… just playing constant cricket is what I like doing”.
The form he managed to find in the Hundred translated instantly into his ODI performances against South Africa, scoring a half-century at Lords, followed by his maiden professional century at the Utiltia Bowl; “It was a nice feeling and almost one that feels quite addicting, so hopefully I can get myself used to raising the bat”.
For now, attention turns to Malahide, with the skipper admitting that his team have “Not had a huge amount of time to go dig in too much”, with regards to the Ireland side, but identifying his opposite number, Paul Stirling, as the main threat; “I’ve seen how destructive he is at the other end… He’ll be someone we’ll be looking to target early and try to get him walking back into the sheds.”
All eyes turn to tomorrow, as the 21-year-old will lead his side out for the first time, and in doing so, make history. Join your Guerillas here for every ball.
