Batsman retires hurt at Oval before returning to crease later on; Liam Plunkett finds form with four wickets in One-Day Cup
Wednesday 24 April 2019 10:17, UK
England batsman Jason Roy suffered an injury scare while batting for Surrey in Tuesday's Royal London One-Day Cup win over Essex.
Roy left the field with a back spasm four overs into Surrey's innings at The Oval, before easing concerns over his fitness by returning to the crease in the 47th over and taking his score from 16 to an unbeaten 35 from 23 balls.
The 28-year-old clubbed Essex seamer Matt Quinn for back-to-back boundaries in the final over, nailing a four and then a six as Surrey posted 278-8 from their 50 overs - Ben Foakes top-scoring with 82.
Roy was then not risked in the field as Surrey - who also saw Ollie Pope (shoulder) and Rikki Clarke (finger) sustain injuries - dismissed Essex for 213 to earn their first win in the competition at the third attempt.
Liam Plunkett, who recorded combined figures of 1-124 from 13 overs in Surrey's defeats to Gloucestershire and Sussex, returned to form with 4-50, a significant boon for the seamer with Jofra Archer pressing for a World Cup spot, something Plunkett currently has after making England's provisional 15-man squad.
Roy - who missed Surrey's opening Specsavers County Championship match against Essex with a hamstring strain - is a key figure in England's World Cup plans having formed a potent opening partnership with Jonny Bairstow over the last 18 months.
Alex Hales, the spare batsman in England's World Cup 15, is taking an indefinite break from cricket due to 'personal reasons', with his county Nottinghamshire announcing the news on Friday.
A Nottinghamshire statement read: "Alex Hales has made himself unavailable for selection for personal reasons and no timetable has been set for his return to action."
It is unclear if Hales' break means he will now miss England's three-day training camp in Cardiff from Saturday and whether or not his involvement in the World Cup, which begins on May 30, is now in doubt.
Next up for England is an ODI against Ireland on May 3, before a one-off T20 international and five-match ODI series against Pakistan.
Watch England's series with Pakistan live on Sky Sports, starting with the one-off Twenty20 international, in Cardiff, from 2pm on Sunday, May 5.
You can watch every match of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup on Sky Sports Cricket, starting with England vs South Africa at The Oval on Thursday, May 30.
