"It wouldn't shock me at all if England went for Ali, as he is a potent force in the UK and was excellent last time against India"
Monday 23 July 2018 15:22, UK
Bumble champions Lancashire's hat-trick hero Jordan Clark for the IPL, backs Moeen Ali for an England Test recall and chuckles at the Forfar score in his latest blog...
Jordan Clark's hat-trick for Lancashire in the Roses game was mightily impressive. With the three wickets he got - Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow - you are not going to better that!
The funny thing about it was that the lights were on, it was overcast and sultry - and both teams wanted to bat! I thought 'crikey' as it really looked like a bowling day.
It was the first hat-trick for Lancashire in a Roses match since Ken Higgs at Headingley in 1968 and when I read that it alerted me - I thought: 'I'll have played in that match!' so I looked up the scorecard. I did play but I can't remember it at all! I find it extraordinary.
It turns out I batted at No 5 and scored 15 and 16 and we got beat by an innings, with Fred Trueman taking a five-wicket haul. Higgy's hat-trick, in which he got Yorkshire's Ken Taylor, Ray Illingworth and Jimmy Binks, were his only wickets in the match.
Higgy was a bull of a man, immensely strong and he had real longevity - he went down to Leicestershire and then came out of retirement when he was almost 50!
Ken was double-jointed, had a short run-up and used to hit the splice of the bat. Jordan certainly has a longer run-up than Ken and would definitely be a more athletic bowler.
Jordan is a lad I rate highly. I think he is out of contract at the end of the season and I would love him to stay at Lancashire as he is a good cricketer. His career really should take off.
When England had to replace Ben Stokes because of injury in the second Test against Pakistan earlier this summer, they went for Sam Curran but Jordan should have been thinking: 'I should be up there'. He's got a lot more to do. He's got to get consistent. But it shouldn't be beyond him.
I have recommended him a couple of times to IPL clubs as I think he is perfect for that competition.
Lancashire and Yorkshire met in the Vitality Blast on Friday night, as well, in front of 22,000 fans at Old Trafford, a record for a T20 game at the ground.
It was a massive game and there is great rivalry on and off the field but it goes without saying that at cricket there is no segregation and all the fans were mixed together in the permanent temporary stand. The party stand!
I despair at the number of people on social media who say there were no youngsters in as the ground was inundated with young people. They were having a great time, having a ball.
Lancs captain Liam Livingstone threw young Toby Lester the ball in the final over with Yorkshire needing 17, which surprised me as I thought he would go for Clark. Lester just about held his nerve but that's what it's all about. Just doing the skill.
Livingstone has since injured his thumb and will probably be out for the season which is a real blow for Lancs because, not only is he captain, but also a leading player in all facets of the game. He is absolutely on England's radar, without a doubt.
Moving on and I can't see Adil Rashid playing in the Tests against India. The lad has said he may look again at red-ball cricket and Test matches but he and England would know that he won't play at Edgbaston.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if he played red ball fairly quickly but it might not be for Yorkshire. It looks as though it may be away from there.
I reckon Moeen Ali and Jack Leach are the leading candidates to be England's spinner in the first Test.
Leach is back playing after injury but it wouldn't shock me at all if they went for Ali, as he is a potent force in the UK and was excellent last time against India. I think they'll go for him.
I've seen Jimmy Anderson bowling in the Roses game and he looks like he needs overs under his belt but hopefully he and Stuart Broad will be ready for Edgbaston. If Chris Woakes is fit, I can see the bowling line-up being Anderson, Broad, Stokes, Woakes and Ali.
Batting-wise, I think Keaton Jennings is nailed on but Rory Burns' form for Surrey could see England play three openers and have Root at No 4, which is where I like him.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Open and marvelling at how flaming skilful the golfers are. It looked a brutish course.
I got a run for my money with my three fancies, which were Francesco Molinari, Tiger Woods and Marc Leishman.
Tiger was battling all the time but he just wasn't there. I thought Darren Clarke put it brilliantly when he said he just didn't have it on the day and that we should appreciate top sportsmen are not robots.
My golf, meanwhile, is still in decline!
I also had a chuckle at the football result from Scotland as we had East Fife 4-5 Forfar on penalties! It works better if the goals come in normal time and you can say: "With five minutes to go, East Fife four, Forfar, so far, five!"
And just finally, we have had another grandchild! A little girl, nine-pounder, called Brogan.
Thanks, everyone, see you at the Tests!
Watch England's five-match Test series against India - starting with the first Test, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 10am on Wednesday, August 1.
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