Hoggard gets fitness boost

Matthew Hoggard is hoping to prove his fitness ahead of the fourth Test © Getty Images

Matthew Hoggard expects to report for England duty in rude health on Friday after bowling 10 overs “pain free” in Yorkshire’s one-run Friends Provident Trophy win over Northamptonshire.

After Yorkshire had scraped an unlikely Duckworth-Lewis victory - despite hundreds from visiting openers Usman Afzaal (132) and Stephen Peters (107) - Hoggard professed himself satisfied with his work-out, just two days before the start of the fourth Test.

The England seamer took his share of punishment, especially in his third and final spell, as Northamptonshire racked up 314 for four at Headingley Carnegie.

But Hoggard also got some revenge with the belated wicket of Afzaal - and subsequently reported he was encouraged by his only opportunity to bowl in the middle since he injured his groin in last month’s first Test at Lord’s.

“I’m quite happy with the way it went,” said the 30-year-old, picked in a 12-man squad to make his 64th Test appearance against West Indies at Chester-le-Street this week.

“It was a good work-out and nice to get three spells, stopping and starting and making sure I could carry on.

Usman Afzaal clubbed his way to a hundred for Northants © Getty Images

“That was as much of a test as anything. If you can get through 10 overs with three spells it means that it’s fine.

“I can’t feel it now, and if I wake up tomorrow (Friday) and it’s still pain free then there has been no reaction.”

Hoggard had no answer, as Afzaal (132) and Peters (107) came within one run of equalling their county’s all-time competition best stand for any wicket against Yorkshire.

It was Ajmal Shahzad who eventually made the breakthrough, Peters well caught at cover to end a partnership of 214 in the 41st over.

Hoggard bowled six unspectacular but tidy overs with the new ball and returned to get rid of Afzaal in his final stint as one of Yorkshire’s ’death’ bowlers in this north conference match - which had no bearing on the semi-final pairings.

Peters hit 10 fours in his 111-ball hundred, and his left-handed partner Afzaal reached his milestone soon afterwards - with 10 fours from 130 deliveries.

The former England batsman added the first of just two sixes in the innings, off Hoggard, only to fall to the very next ball - smearing a catch to point.

Northants, who chose to bat first, seemed to have taken significant advantage - and after Yorkshire lost both openers cheaply, Hoggard looked very likely to end up on the losing side.

Instead, an unbroken third-wicket stand of 108 between Anthony McGrath (62 not out) and Gerard Brophy kept the hosts in the hunt - and the timing of long-forecast afternoon rain convinced the umpires to take the teams off the field just as Yorkshire sneaked in front on D-L, with 119 on the board from 21 overs.

Batsman Stephen Peters also went to a stylish century

It was therefore a doubly happy outcome for Hoggard, who is itching to get back in the Test reckoning.

He admits he would in an ideal world have preferred a little more competitive cricket - but he is confident he will let no one down.

He said: “The only issue is going into the game without a lot of match practice.

“It would have been nice to have a little bit more - but I want to play in the Test match.

“Now I’m an old head with a lot of experience, I think I can close my eyes and ‘wang’ it in roughly the right spot.

“It’s not as if I’m on debut or in my third or fourth Test match, and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing.

“I’m happy with the way it’s coming out. It’s not as if I’ve come back feeling like a bag of spanners; I’ve come back feeling quite good.”

Hoggard is increasingly confident too that his injury will not trouble him.

“The groin held up really well, the legs felt fine - and the ball went in the right areas more often than not,” he said.

“In a one-day game, you can’t read too much into it - the death overs. In the five or six overs at the start, I didn’t bowl any wides, no-balls or half-volleys - and it mostly went in the right place.”