England Women host New Zealand in an IT20 at The Central Co-op County-Ground on Wednesday 20 May (6.30pm).
The Women’s T20 World Cup holders, led by Amelia Kerr, face an England side aiming to make more history in Derby.
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Dominic Cork says Ravi Rampaul was not risked against Durham due to the quick turnaround since his arrival, but the Twenty20 Head Coach is delighted by what he’s already seen in the nets from the experienced quick.
The former West Indies international landed in England on Wednesday, after signing for the Royal London Cup campaign, and travelled up to Durham with the squad the next day, with Rampaul available for all remaining Vitality Blast fixtures.
Since helping Trinidad and Tobago to the 2021 Super50 Cup, taking 14 wickets in the process, the 36-year-old has only played a limited amount of cricket, and Cork, who experienced similar situations in his career when travelling between the IPL and county cricket, did not want to risk Rampaul in what turned out to be a brilliant victory at Emirates Riverside.
“I mulled over it for a while, but he’s only played two games in four months,” Cork told BBC Radio Derby.
“Having spoken to Ravi, and having tried to do that myself, when I got caught in the IPL after the Icelandic volcano went off and all air travel was grounded. I tried to come up to Durham, having had one bowl in the IPL, and I got injured.
“I spoke to our medical staff about the percentages and it just wasn’t viable to play him. I took his honest opinion, and we both came to the conclusion that he should have four more days of bowling [in the nets] and be ready for next Friday.
“He will be in contention to play against Northants, and he will have some overs under his belt. The way that he bowled in the nets with us, he hasn’t lost a thing, now it’s just about getting that rustiness off.”
