Jake Ball hopes Notts match at Welbeck can boost his England chances

Few players are looking forward more to this month's county cricket action at Welbeck CC than Nottinghamshire seamer Jake Ball, who started his career at the Sookholme club.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Jul 2016, 14:54 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 18:09 BST
JAKE BALL -- looking forward to the big Notts v Derbyshire match at Welbeck later this month.JAKE BALL -- looking forward to the big Notts v Derbyshire match at Welbeck later this month.
JAKE BALL -- looking forward to the big Notts v Derbyshire match at Welbeck later this month.

And he believes he can use the match, along with Notts’s other Royal London Cup fixtures this summer, to push for a place in the England one-day side.

The 25-year-old Ball has already has put himself in the frame for a Test debut with some outstanding bowling displays in 2016, and has been 12th man for all three five-day Tests against Sri Lanka.

But he is also eyeing a place in Eoin Morgan’s 50-over squad, having made his breakthrough at county level in 2013 as part of the Notts squad that reached and won the YB40 Cup against Glamorgan at Lord’s.

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“If you had asked me at the start of this season, then I would have said that my best chance of playing international cricket would be in white-ball cricket,” said Ball.

“People maybe don’t know that much about me in that format, but all of the good cricket I played in the winter on the England Lions tour (to Dubai) was played with the white ball.

“Hopefully, if I can have another good season with the white ball, then who knows what can happen?”

The 50-over Royal London Cup match at Welbeck, against Derbyshire, takes place on Sunday, July 24. The Mansfield-born Ball might well miss it because of his Test-match commitments with England. But whether he plays nor not, he hopes the game will be one that inspires a new generation of young, local players.

He said: “It’s a nice family environment to play and watch cricket at Welbeck where you can get a lot closer to the action and the players interact with the crowd.

“It’s a really good place for kids to come down and learn about the game, and it would be great if it encourages more to come and play.”

There are still a few hospitality places available for the Welbeck game at £40 per person, which includes admission, parking at £5 per car, a three-course Sunday lunch, a VIP seating area and a dedicated bar area.

Tickets for the match are available from.nottsccc.co.uk and are priced at £10 for adults, £5 for juniors and £7 for senior citizens (over-65) and under-21s.

Ground admission includes access to the ground and seating in any stand apart from the members’ pavilion.

Related topics:EnglandSri Lanka