Pair’s inclusion should inspire young cricketers

October 13, 2021

THE inclusion of two Suffolk players in England’s T20 World Cup squad should help inspire young cricketers in the county.

Suffolk County Cricket Club Chairman Andrew Squire said that the presence in the squad of Tymal Mills and Reece Topley, who have both had to overcome major injury setbacks in their careers, was a testament to their hard work.

The ICC T20 World Cup, which gets under way in the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Sunday, will also feature a third former Suffolk schoolboy as Josh Davey will be playing for Scotland.

Mills (pictured above) returns to the England squad after an absence of four years after impressing for Sussex in the Vitality T20 Blast and also helping Southern Brave to lift the men’s trophy in the inaugural edition of the Hundred this summer.

The 29-year-old former Essex bowler was educated at Mildenhall Community College and has played for both Mildenhall CC and Suffolk. He last played for the county in 2019.

He was diagnosed with a congenital back condition in 2015 which resulted in him no longer being able to play red-ball cricket, but he has represented T20 franchise sides all around the globe.

Topley, 27, has been added to the England squad as a travelling reserve after all-rounder Sam Curran was ruled out by a lower back injury.

The former Royal Hospital School pupil played for Suffolk in the U10 and U11 age groups, before being picked up by his father Don’s former county Essex.

Since making his first-class debut for Essex in 2011 Topley, who was born in Ipswich and now plays for Surrey, has been plagued by stress fractures in his back throughout his career.

Suffolk CCC Chairman Squire said: “It’s great to see three Suffolk junior cricketers being part of the England and Scotland T20 World Cup squads.

“Considering what challenges they have both had with injuries over the years it proves that hard work and the will to reach your long-term goal does really pay off. Great news for Josh also.

“Their inclusion should certainly inspire our current and next generation of cricketers.”

Davey, now aged 31, has been a regular in the Scotland side since making his international debut in 2010 and also played in the last ICC T20 World Cup in 2016.

Although he was born in Aberdeen, Davey moved to Suffolk with his family when he was young and he attended Culford School and played for Bury St Edmunds CC as well as representing the full Suffolk side.

He started his professional career with Middlesex, before joining Somerset in 2014 where he has forged a successful career as a bowler in both white and red-ball cricket.

Tymal Mills is pictured bowling for Suffolk versus Hertfordshire at Ipswich School in 2019

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