NICK FRIEND: A T20 World Cup in Australia perhaps isn't the natural fit for someone of Howell's guile, but it would be a shame were his armoury never to be tested at the highest level
You'd have to be cruel not to be chuffed for the career trajectory of Benny Howell, a pioneering allrounder who's worked his game out for himself over the years and is finally reaping the rewards.
It has been one of the more remarkable journeys: from beginning life as an opening batter at Hampshire to being considered one of the great, uncapped English white-ball cricketers of his era, famed and admired for his obsession with innovation.
"Spend hours just playing with the ball, having fun, going in the nets," he said during the innings break in a televised segment with Nick Knight and Eoin Morgan, when asked for his advice to young, aspiring Benny Howells.
"You might have some terrible balls that come out, but you might have some gems as well."
That is his advice, because that has been his own modus operandi since transforming perceptions of his own cricket: he is no longer a red-ball top-order batter, but a limited-over mystery seamer – or "a fast spinner", as he once described himself to The Cricketer.
In a more recent interview, discussing his impending return to Hampshire – he is leaving Gloucestershire after a decade's service to return to his first county – he even revealed a desire to develop his off-spin and leg-breaks now that he will be playing at a ground with larger boundaries than during his time at Bristol, where he didn't feel sufficiently confident that he had the protection in the outfield's dimensions.
Howell claimed three more wickets on Monday night (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Hampshire are said to be open to the idea, and the county's bowling coach, Graeme Welch, has a history of innovation himself, having once trialled a double-bounce yorker in the earlier days of T20 cricket. You'd think they will get along like a house on fire. And with Hampshire's pragmatic approach to Blast cricket at the Ageas Bowl, Howell might just be the perfect recruit.
Six years ago, he was the first Englishman to play in the Bangladesh Premier League; earlier this season, he spent two months with Punjab Kings at the Indian Premier League, picked up at auction as – to this point – the highest recognition his skillset has earned.
He demonstrated those tricks to Sky, showcasing the nuances of his three different knuckle-balls and analysing how he'd trapped Ian Cockbain in front, bowled Tom Kohler-Cadmore and had Samit Patel caught at cover. The latter, he suggested, was fortunate reward for a delivery that went awry.
It was only with the final two balls of his spell that anyone got him away, Daniel Sams taking him for consecutive sixes – he has conceded just trhee in the competition in four games. On a slightly slow surface at a ground that has hosted an extraordinary amount of cricket in the last month, he was the ideal bowler – the man who once claimed to have as many as 50 variations.
As he spoke to Morgan, it seemed a shame that the former England captain wasn't asked how close Howell came to making one of his squads. Of the 24 players in this year's Hundred with more than two wickets to their name, only Sunil Narine – one of five men with more wickets than Howell – has a better economy rate. A T20 World Cup in Australia perhaps isn't the natural fit for someone of Howell's guile, but it would be a shame were his armoury never to be tested at the highest level. His selection for England Lions last month was at least a sign that there are eyes on him.
Moeen Ali guided Birmingham Phoenix to victory (David Rogers/Getty Images)
His spell ensured it would take a fine effort from Sams and Lewis Gregory to even create a competitive game from the rubble of 53 for 6. From there, Trent Rockets almost trebled their score, with the Australian particularly brutal through a spell towards the end of the innings. Even then, however, Phoenix finished the stronger, with Tom Helm and Henry Brookes excellent at the death.
Whether a few more runs would have made a difference is debatable in any case, given the way in which Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone peppered the short boundaries once coming through a tremendous initial onslaught from Luke Wood, who bowled quickly, swung the new ball and hit Moeen on the helmet with a bouncer that seemed to dart in at the Phoenix captain off the seam.
He shook off the blow and soon changed the game, taking down Gregory with a 23-run over, while the 10 balls bowled by Samit Patel and Tabraiz Shamsi went for 30. Sam Cook almost pulled off one of the great boundary catches, only to land on the wrong side of the rope. But otherwise, Phoenix produced an authoritative riposte to a potentially sticky situation.
Howell, the one-time opener, wasn't required with the bat. His work was done for the night, and he could bask in the glory of yet another night in his fascinating cricketing life.
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