closeicon
Sport

Field bowled over by Oval experience

articlemain

Dan Field believes England can take many positives from the Blind Cricket series against world champions India.

Having made his debut in Sri Lanka in 2006, Field played in every match of the home ODI and T20 series.

One of four B3 players in the team, Field ran for the B1 and B2 players, including Disability Cricketer of the Year Luke Sugg who top-scored with 66 in the T20 game at the Kia Oval.

Field said: “Our major team goals following the World Cup were to close the gap between us and India and Pakistan, the two best teams in the world. In a short space of time we’ve done that, with a relatively young but experienced team.

"It was great to play against India and have a real contest where we could have won every game.

It was great to play against India and have a real contest where we could have won every game.

"India were deserved winners of the series, taking their chances, and they were probably the more ruthless side.

"But we were the first team to bowl them out in nearly a decade and ran them close in every game, especially the Oval match, which came down to the penultimate over.”

The T20 at the Oval was Field’s 50th international appearance for his country and he has now accumulated more than 30 dismissals behind the stumps.

"Playing at the Oval and Arundel were amazing experiences,” said Field, who is 26 and lives in Raynes Park. “The atmosphere at the Oval was incredible and the crowds we got at Wolverhampton, Arundel and Leamington were great.

"As a Sussex boy, getting to play at Arundel was pretty special, and playing at the Oval, where so many iconic cricket moments have happened, was awesome.

"I'm easily the messiest player in the team so getting my own corner in the Oval dressing room gave me plenty of room.”

Field, a former winner of the Maccabi GB Sportsperson of the Year, scored one of only two boundaries in England’s opening one-day defeat at Leamington.

He said: "We get an incredible amount of support from the ECB, including an excellent coaching staff, physio, strength and conditioning coach, nutritional, psychologist and media support.

"Blind cricket is fast becoming a game that’s great to watch for spectators and hopefully its coverage will only keep growing."

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive