Ball determined to learn from Ashes frustration

The 26-year-old seamer was thrilled to be picked for the tour Down Under, only to suffer an ankle injury that hampered his preparations for the first Test.

Mansfield-born Ball proved his fitness in order to line up against the Aussies at The Gabba, where he took pthe rized wicket of David Warner. But he was not picked for any of the subsequent matches as England lost the series 4-0.

“It wasn’t how I wanted it to go, but it’s professional sport and things like that can happen,” he said.

“Looking back, perhaps the match fitness wasn’t there for the first Test. I think I had bowled only 15 match overs going into it, so I was probably a bit under-cooked.

“I felt I would have been in a good position from that game, but it wasn’t to be and that was my only chance of the tour. It was frustrating, but decisions have to be made. It’s quite a ruthless place to be at times. You are judged on how you deal with it and come back from it.

“Whenever you get dropped, there is always that determination to get back into the team. The only way I’m going to do that is by some good performances at Notts.”