Following a broken finger during the first ODI at Edgbaston, England allrounder Jamie Overton on Saturday ruled out of the balance of the white-ball series against West Indies.
Just two deliveries into his spell, the 31-year-old suffered the injury trying a quick return catch off his bowling. The ball bounced off his right hand, sending him straight off the field. Originally worried about a dislocation, tests have later shown a fracture to his right hand’s little finger.
Overton came back to the field later in the innings with his finger tightly bandaged and went on to give an explosive performance, culminating with figures of 3 for 22 in 5.2 overs – the best by an England bowler in the match despite the damage.
Resilient even while injured, his wickets included Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, and Gudakesh Motie.
Under medical professional supervision, Overton will now start a rehabilitation programme.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced, nevertheless, that the ODI squad would not include a substitute. Rather, Matthew Potts and Luke Wood, reserve fast bowlers, remain in contention for a call-up; left-arm spinner Tom Hartley also finds place depending on pitch circumstances.
The three-match series’s second ODI is set to take place in Cardiff on Sunday, then the final game at the Kia Oval on Tuesday.
It is relevant to note that on Thursday’s first ODI at Birmingham, England thrashed the West Indies by a stunning margin of 238 runs. Targeting a difficult 401 runs, the West Indies were bowled out for just 162 runs in 26.2 overs.
