Are England missing a trick in letting Joe Root's batting brilliance overshadow his bowling ability?

All the buzz in the last few days has been about Joe Root’s magnificent performance at Old Trafford. By scoring 325 runs in the match Root reminded cricket-watchers of his brilliance following a modest test series against Sri Lanka. Having thrown his wicket away against Pakistan at Lord’s, he clearly reined himself in a little – at least at the outset of his innings – while never looking in danger of being bogged down. It was the best response possible to those (including me) who had doubted the merits of Root’s promotion to number 3.

Not only did Root bat like a dream, he fielded superbly in the slips and even came on to snaffle a late-innings wicket as England sought a swift denouement. But what of Root the bowler? On the face of it, his off-spin has serious potential. In 44 tests he has taken 13 wickets at an average of 48.61. In the World T20 final in April he opened the bowling and took two wickets in an over. He undoubtedly picks up wickets at useful moments.

It is no secret that England have struggled to find a top-class, front line spinner since Graeme Swann retired. Moeen Ali is the man in possession of the spinning slot but his 73 wickets have come at over 40 runs each and the good times have not always rolled. His most likely challenger, Adil Rashid, remains unproven in tests despite impressing in one-dayers for England.

In this context, the importance of a decent part-time spin bowler is magnified. And it is an area where England have failed for decades. In the last 25 years hopes have been raised over several top-order batsmen who could serve up a bit of twirl. Mike Atherton’s leg-spin once secured 44 wickets in a season for Lancashire, but he was unable to reproduce the goods for England – admittedly in part because of his dodgy back – picking up just two scalps over the years. Mark Ramprakash turned his arm over from time to time, but in the 1990s the most successful England part-time spinner was Graeme Hick, who secured 23 wickets in 65 matches at 56.78.

More recently, Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen both had their moments in the sun. Few will forget Vaughan’s magic ball to dismiss Sachin Tendulker at Trent Bridge in 2002. Pietersen’s dismissal of Michael Clarke in Adelaide late on day four in 2010 was a vital moment in that victorious Ashes series. But still, Vaughan ended up with only 6 test wickets; Pietersen took 10.

Meanwhile, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka produce part-time spinners for fun – understandable perhaps in light of the pitches being more conducive to the art. But Australia too, from Border, through Mark Waugh to Marcus North and Michael Clarke himself have produced batsmen who could bowl ten or fifteen overs in a day – and actually looked like their meant it. Clarke and Border both took their test wickets at under 40, Waugh at just over.

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Root has the talent to be more than just the next Graeme Hick. If his back is up to it he should be looking to take fifty or more wickets in his test career – in addition of course to 150 catches and 12,000 runs. Is that really took much to ask..?

It appears that ECB officials are pressing for the introduction of a new, franchise-based T20 tournament as early as 2018, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. It would be played by city-based teams in a single, four-week period. Oddly, the existing T20 Blast would be maintained, although that would surely be for an interim period only.

The counties are unsurprisingly unsettled by the plans, although there are few die-hard supporters of continuing the domestic T20 season along current lines. Blast matches, usually played on Fridays, are successful for some clubs, much less so for others. Fans are frequently baffled about when different formats of cricket are being played, while a short, sharp tournament over a month or so would be a bigger draw to TV companies.

Many eyes will be on the inaugural women’s Super League then, which launches on Saturday, with six teams battling it out for a spot in the final on 21 August. It is easier perhaps to establish a new tournament without the historical baggage which comes with the men’s game. Even so, the women’s competition – involving Surrey Stars, Western Storm, Yorkshire Diamonds, Lancashire Thunder, Southern Vipers and Loughborough Lightning – will offer some clues about the viability of a franchise-type operation in this country.

It is a shame that some of the game’s star names are not able to participate. Sarah Taylor remains on a break from cricket, while Australia’s captain Meg Lanning has had to withdraw because of a shoulder injury. Yet plenty of talent remains and it is to be hoped that the sides get the support they deserve. One thing’s for sure, the ECB will be watching.