Josh Hull made his debut in The Hundred this week (July 25) and was clocked at close to 90mph. Here's all you need to know about the 6 foot 7 19-year-old who England have earmarked for the future.
Hull made his county debut for Leicestershire last year in the County Championship against Yorkshire. He took a wicket with his fourth ball, dismissing former England opener Adam Lyth, and added two more international names in Dawid Malan and Shai Hope to his tally in the second innings. Following that success, he was quickly handed both List A and T20 debuts, and in the draft for this year's Hundred, he was picked as a wildcard by Manchester Originals.
It's been a rapid rise over the last 12 months for Hull, who is still yet to turn 20. In an interview with The Telegraph, England men's managing director Rob Key name-checked him as a bowler England were keeping an eye for the future. Key has made plain that England's intention is to focus on quicker bowlers who hit the pitch hard, and build a battery of fast bowlers who can see them to next year's Ashes and beyond.
In that respect, it's not hard to see why Key is interested in Hull. Towering at over two metres tall and with a left-arm angle, Hull stands out from the crowd. Sam Curran is the only left-arm seamer to play a Test for England since Ryan Sidebottom, and Hull's extra pace makes him an even more attractive option. England's selector's reportedly considered him for selection for England's white-ball series against Ireland last winter, when their premier names were travelling to the World Cup in India, but decided it was too early for him.
That consideration came after Hull played a crucial role in Leicestershire's One Day Cup final victory. With Hampshire chasing a middling total, Hull took the key wicket of Tom Prest just after he'd reached a half-century, banging the ball in short and finding extra bounce. He also bowled the final over of the match, defending eight runs and taking the wicket of Liam Dawson to secure victory by two runs.
Just before that final, Lewis Hill told Wisden.com exactly how highly he rated Hull. "He's got the world at his feet, that guy," said Hill. "He's really naive. I don't think he knows how good he is or he can be in the future. I don't think he realises it at the minute. He's going to be a huge player, not to put too much pressure on him but I'd love to see him in an England shirt in a couple of years time."
Fast bowling runs in Hull's family. His grandmother's brother was a left-arm seamer for Worcestershire in the 1950s, and Hull grew up on a farm where he was able to practice bowling in his father's barn. His brother Ollie is on Leicestershire's academy books. After breaking his right arm at the age of 15, he decided to focus on cricket after missing the following rugby season, as he could still bowl with his left arm. The next year he was recommended to Phil DeFreitas at Leicestershire by his school coach, and spent a year in their academy before making his senior debut.
However, while Hull is being treated as an exciting prospect, a word of caution for a young player coming through is necessary. Hull is quick, regularly clocking in the late eighties, but not express or regularly topping 90. At least not yet. He's still learning to control his craft, and has sometimes been erratic. He was Manchester Originals' most expensive bowler on Hundred debut, conceding 31 runs off 15 balls. While Hull is indeed one to watch for the future, there's still a long way for him to go.
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