CRICKET
Sam Cook shakes off ‘dibbly-dobbler’ tag to enter England contention
Essex bowler, who has enjoyed impressive start to season, may not have express pace but he has immense skill
Cook has taken 21 wickets in the County Championship this season
GARETH COPLEY/GETTY IMAGES
England’s lengthy list of injury concerns over James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Olly Stone — not to mention the incapacitated Jofra Archer — will be prompting the selectors to monitor the form of fringe pace bowlers more closely. Another strong performance last week by Sam Cook of Essex, in what has been a good season for him, will have done his chances of an Ashes call-up no harm at all.
In a high-scoring draw against Nottinghamshire on a flat Trent Bridge pitch, Cook returned match figures of five for 72 from 30 overs. All his victims were top-order batsmen, and indeed all but one of his 21 wickets this season have been players batting in the top seven. Those wickets have come at only 18
