Gurney's Bashing On Door For England Call

IT'S indicative of the life led by many modern cricketers that fewer than 24 hours after winning the Big Bash with the Melbourne Renegades, Harry Gurney finds himself at an airport heading, not for home, but to Dubai.

- Richard Edwards

The Nottinghamshire left-armer has barely had a chance to digest the enormity of his most recent achievement before leaving Aussies shores to take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

When he’s there, perhaps he will have a minute to reflect on a truly extraordinary stint with the Renegades, that culminated in the franchise’s triumph over the Melbourne Stars at the aptly named Marvel Stadium on Sunday evening.

Gurney took ten wickets for the 2019 champions, with those wickets coming at a cost of just 24. Most impressive, though, was an economy rate of seven, which would have been seen as sky high when the 32-year-old began his career at Leicestershire. Now it’s below the norm, which is partly why Gurney made such a huge impression in this year’s tournament.

And he will return to Trent Bridge, albeit in a rather roundabout fashion via Dubai and then India, in the knowledge that he has played in one of the biggest matches in world cricket and shown, once again, that he can handle the big occasion.

“The final was probably a bit more loud and raucous than Lord’s but it wasn’t dissimilar to a T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston,” he says. “To play at a stadium like that and to see it packed out was obviously great.