Surrey’s Reece Topley wants Championship displays to push his claims for England return

BY MARCUS HOOK

Reece Topley is targeting the early rounds of the County Championship to state his case for a return to the international fold, following a 2021 season that was derailed by injury.

Before picking up a side strain in the first week of June, the 28-year-old had bagged 21 wickets at 29.33, also putting him in the frame for a call-up to the England Test team.

The tall left-arm fast bowler has been bracketed as a white-ball player, having appeared in 13 one-day internationals and 10 T20s for England. But Topley is confident he can help turn around England’s red-ball fortunes.

“I didn’t play any white-ball cricket for Surrey last season,”he said. “I picked up a side strain preparing for the T20s.

“It was a very badly-timed injury. It was unfortunate, but it happens. When you look back you really wish it didn’t, because it also cost me the white-ball summer for England.

“But I took a lot of confidence from my red-ball cricket. At the end of the day, I have taken however many wickets at an average of 26 in first-class cricket.

“I do want to play red-ball cricket. The fact that I missed the white-ball summer for England last year was pretty gutting, so my focus at the moment is playing for Surrey and winning matches.

“I’d love to play Test cricket. I know that I can handle it physically, but it’s down to England. If they want you to play, they’ll get you in.

“If you look at Jos Buttler getting into the England Test team off the back of doing well in the IPL, it just speaks that if England want you to play Test cricket they’ll find a way.

“So, it’s up to me to create that narrative.

“Every time I go out there I’m confident I can take wickets, because I’ve done it in the past, and that’s my job as a bowler.”

Topley also says the arrival of Surrey and Pakistan legend Azhar Mahmood as bowling coach has not only brought a fresh perspective but also innovations for Surrey’s seam attack to employ this summer.

“I’ve worked with Azhar when playing for England and with the Oval Invincibles, so I know him quite well and he’s got a lot of knowledge,” said Topley.

“He’s got new methods that I haven’t really encountered before and he has already imparted some sub-continent nous, which is really fresh and exciting.

“It’s new to everyone, which is brilliant. Wherever you go in the world there’s a different outlook on cricket and Pakistan fast bowling is legendary.

“He’s brought in different training methods and different perspectives. But with him having played in English conditions, he’s sieved out what’s relevant and what isn’t relevant.

“He used to bowl with the new ball and at the death, so we’ve got that in common, so I’m really looking forward to implementing some new tactics.”

With Rikki Clarke and Jade Dernbach having hung up their boots, Topley now finds himself one of the senior members of Surrey’s bowling attack. But, when it comes to giving advice, he does not see experience as a factor.

“That’s not something I really think about, I just think about doing my job,” said Topley, who has taken more than 400 wickets in all competitions.

“Imparting information isn’t something I think should be determined by anyone’s age. I’ve played in games when I was much younger and I offered advice to other people. Likewise, people who are younger than me have come up with ideas.”

While Topley hopes his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes is given an extended run as wicketkeeper in England’s Test team, he cannot think of anyone better to support him by turning half chances into wickets.

“I felt sorry for Ben, in the sense that he wasn’t in the Ashes squad,” said Topley, who grew up playing in the same age group sides as Foakes in their Essex days.

“After playing no cricket between the end of last season and the tour of the West Indies, I think Foakesy should have been in and around the squad all along.

“For me, he’s the best keeper-batter. At Essex, I played with James Foster, who everyone called the best ever and even he made mistakes. Everyone does, but with Fozzy and Foakesy it’s incredibly rare.

“It fills you with a lot of confidence when those guys are behind the sticks. I’ve played with Ben since the age of 10. He’s always been brilliant so hopefully there’s a lot more caught Foakes bowled Topleys to come.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD