Hampshire star James Vince gunning for England Test debut if selected
Tuesday 10 May 2016 22:29, UK
James Vince is confident he will be ready for a Test debut next week if he gets the nod from England's selectors.
Vince is widely expected to be named in England's squad on Thursday morning.
His painstaking, unbeaten 39 extended hope at Old Trafford that Hampshire could yet escape with a stalemate, all the more so after bad weather wiped out the last two sessions on day three of their Specsavers County Championship Division One fixture.
There will be more work for Vince to do against Lancashire on Wednesday first, but he is hoping he has put himself in the frame to face Sri Lanka at Headingley.
Asked if he thinks he is ready for the step up, the 25-year-old said: "Yes definitely. I'll keep my fingers crossed I get some good news [on Wednesday]."
At stumps, Hampshire were still a mammoth 271 runs behind on 76 for two in their second innings.
But after Vince had blunted 147 deliveries, from an attack led by James Anderson, and Will Smith a further 91 in their unbroken stand of 53, the visitors had a feasible escape route.
Vince added: "It was nice to stick around ... it was what the game demanded, and I hope I can help save it.
"I haven't had any indication (from the selectors). I know they were here on the first day - to see my run out."
England coach Trevor Bayliss was indeed in attendance two days ago, when Vince fell without scoring to a brilliant piece of fielding from Steven Croft.
This time, in the two hours of play possible, the Hampshire captain put in a highly plausible audition for a maiden Test cap at number five - or even, his accustomed county position, number three.
Vince, who had spent 45 balls up to stumps the previous evening, again had pedigree pace to contend with from England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker as well as fiery New Zealand left-armer Neil Wagner.
Anderson struck with only his fifth ball of an increasingly grey day, opener Michael Carberry departing in a state of some bemusement - caught-behind on the back foot.
Although there were more minor scrapes as Wagner dug in a succession of short deliveries, his victories were limited to the moral and partial.
When forecast rain set in, terminally, Vince had served his team and his own Test credentials equally well.
