Cricket: Chance for the Real Twelfth Man

It is disturbing to discover that the man standing by for the injured Simon Jones for next week's Ashes decider at The Oval has a dodgy right knee and a no-ball problem that has given umpires aching arms.

In addition Chris Tremlett's bowling, less rhythm than blues at the moment, has lost its early-season potency. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that he is a considerable talent. He is. And he feels he should provide a timely reminder of the fact in today's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy final at Lord's.

The first thing that strikes one about him is his height, which is 6ft 7in. That is head-in-the-clouds tallness. When Shane Warne first played for Hampshire, in 2000, he was in awe of it and, grinning, could be seen standing close and looking up at the fast bowler for maximum effect.

Then there is his bowling, which is of the hit-the-deck variety and so steep it should have one of those triangular roadside gradient warnings. When he remembers not to bowl too short on slower pitches he swings it away; as for speed, the tacho cuts in at about 85mph.

These are reasons why he has traipsed along with England like a mascot all summer. He has been included in every Ashes squad only to be left out of the team and sent back to Hampshire.

The selectors are desperate for Jones to play at The Oval and the player is likely to get on the field even if it is with the aid of stretcher-bearers.

Because of the poor form and fitness of the likes of James Anderson, Andrew Caddick, Martin Saggers - who cannot even get a game for Kent -and Sajid Mahmood - remember him? - Tremlett, 24 yesterday, is again likely to feature when the squad is announced tomorrow. But the selector Geoff Miller will not have been impressed by what he saw in the recent championship win over today's final opponents, Warwickshire.

"I'm not overly happy with the way I bowled in this game. It was not the way I wanted it to be. It's annoying that I'm bowling no-balls again [which shouldn't disqualify him judging by recent Tests] and I'm also bowling too short at times. The truth is that, if I am to play in a Test match, I will have to bowl better. But I can give my chances a boost by doing well under pressure in the big game [today].

"It's very frustrating. I was taking wickets for fun at the start of the season. I felt on top of my game and my confidence was brimming. Shane Warne helped me. I even thought I might make my England debut at Edgbaston, where Simon's ankle was a bit sore, and again at Old Trafford, where the wicket was bouncy and they were thinking about playing a taller bowler instead of Matthew Hoggard. Manchester, where I had bowled well earlier in the season, was really my best chance."

From his and England's perspective it would be preferable if Tremlett was given time to rediscover his rhythm and get over his injury - there is a tendinitis problem beside his right knee which requires painkillers and injections - and push for a tour place to Pakistan.

But Tremlett must also overcome something more fundamental than the no-balls and the knee twinges; it is the suspicion that he is a gentle giant, not unlike his grandfather, Maurice, the Somerset and England all-rounder who took eight wickets on his county debut in 1947 before becoming an even more effective batsman.

Then there is his father Tim, who bowled for Hampshire and England B and is the county's current director of cricket. Tim, nice but never dim, is admirable in his refutation of the popular slander that his son should be more aggressive. "How? In what way?" he asks, with the incredulity of a doting dad.

"I'd taken only 10 wickets at his age and he's pushing 200, and you don't take that many if you're too nice. He is learning how to concentrate and how to bowl on different pitches. He's capable of swinging the ball but is often asked to bang it in, and on slow pitches it can sit up to be hit."

The dressing-room gossip says that, given his equipment, he should be more intimidating than he is. Shaun Udal, Hampshire's captain today, admits: "He could be more aggressive at times but on his day he's a proper handful, a real talent and an England player."

"I am competitive," says the man himself. "I'm a quiet bloke and not naturally aggressive but that's something I've tried to work on. Sometimes my body language is not as good as it should be.

"I can't be like Shane Warne, who gets stuck into the batsmen and calls them all sorts. But I give the batsmen a stare now and again to let them know I'm about. I like to be quietly aggressive." Precisely.

Teams

Hampshire (from): J Crawley, N Pothas (wkt), S Ervine, S Watson, K Pietersen, G Lamb, D Mascarenhas, A Bichel, S Udal (capt), C Tremlett, J McLean, K Latou Warwickshire (from): N Knight (capt), N Carter, I Bell, J Trott, J Troughton, T Penney, A Loudon, T Frost (wkt), D Brown, A Giles, M Ntini, J Anyon Venue Lord's Umpires N Mallender and A Jones Start 10.45am TV Channel 4 </B>

Weather Sunny and warm

Max temp 26C (79F)

Humidity Maximum 57%