by BUMBLE ON THE TEST: ‘Nighthawk’ Rehan Ahmed could become a versatile player but he MUST play regularly, England should always give youth a chance and my brandy-soaked mince pies will put me on the Bake Off!
England are on the verge of a 3-0 series against Pakistan as their batsmen took them to within 55 points of victory in Karachi.
18-year-old Test debutant Rehan Ahmed won a five-for as the hosts were knocked out for 216 in their second run.
And England fly-half were in no mood to hang around in their quest for 167 to win the third Test, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett putting up 87 for the first wicket.
Sportsmail’s David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd talks about the brilliance of England spinners in this game, giving raw talent like Ahmed a chance and how his brandy pies were a hit.
Rehan Ahmed, 18, scored a five for in Pakistan’s second set on his Test debut
Three English spinners taking nine wickets between them in an innings of a test on the sub-continent! It was like looking at India.
It’s brilliant, England have been so adaptable in this series and the key to this third Test was the introduction of Rehan Ahmed who took five. He showed again that he had a formidable temperament.
I don’t know Mo Bobat but I’m told he had a big role to play in promoting Rehan. Kudos to him…
Ahmed writes his name on the honors board at Karachi National Stadium after the game
And then Ahmed comes in as England ‘Nighthawk’ and hits his first ball from Abrar Ahmed on the ground for four!
He may not have lasted too long, but it’s clear England view him as a true all-rounder.
Ben Stokes said before this game that he wasn’t sure if Rehan was a bowler or a first hitter! Exciting times for a very exciting player..
Ahmed showed his intent with the bat as England’s ‘Nighthawk’ before being played for 10
We’ve talked about the importance of a wrist in overseas conditions and Ahmed could really be one of the last pieces of the puzzle for this England team.
Why have we had so few leg spinners over the years? It all depends on English conditions. The key now is for Paul Nixon, one of cricket’s great men, to play this lad in every league game from now on for Leicestershire.
Rehan will be an inspiration to so many young cricketers…
I like to see young players having their chance. Starting an 18-year-old with three league appearances under his belt in a Test is a far cry from England’s tour of Australia in 1974-75.
When we needed a replacement they sent a 41 year old to Colin Cowdrey!
I remember when I was England manager John Abraham, who was in charge of the Under-19s, telling me he had two good players – Andrew Flintoff and Ben Hollioake. We threw them away…
Andrew Flintoff celebrates a wicket on his 1998 Test debut – that of Jacques Kallis
Jack Leach also proved in this test that to play effectively, you have to be on the beat. This is why regular match play is the only way forward for Ahmed.
Spin bowling is all about precision, trickery and deception. It’s like a game of chess. So much thought goes into it. It doesn’t come from transporting beverages.
My message to any spinner at any level is – if you don’t get selected, just make sure you have a game somewhere else. Any game is better than none.
Jack Leach’s form in this Pakistani series speaks to the importance of regular play
News of Bumble Towers and my new hobby baking is going great. You must taste my Christmas pies. They came out a treat.
I’ll tell you my secret that makes them so tasty – a big dollop of cognac.
They’re almost as good as my Chorley cakes and I can see myself on that TV show with Paul Hollywood someday. Merry Christmas Everybody…..
