Posted by If Sam Northeast has had a “thing” it was forever being mentioned as a possible England batter but never actually getting picked. Now he’s the guy who made 410 not out.
Some players have a real knack for not getting picked for the Test team. Sam Northeast has delivered in this area about as well as anyone in recent memory. He has been “on England’s radar” for so long that we can only assume they’ve mistaken him for a pock mark on the display and now routinely disregard his presence. Countless bleeps, sweeps and creeps have been picked ahead of him over the years.
A few seasons back we highlighted how the fact that no-one paid attention to how many runs he made at Kent had compelled him to make lots of runs for Hampshire instead.
Now he’s making lots of runs for Glamorgan. Lots and lots and lots of runs this week.
If you really pride yourself on maintaining a high volume of ‘possible England batter’ references without ever actually becoming one, the trick is to never quite be flavour of the month.
Sam Northeast has clearly concluded that he’s now old enough that he can enjoy a much tastier month.
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He has never really understood his need for nominative determinism. He started in Kent, but when he moved, did he move north east (or to the North East)? No, he moved west to Hampshire. That gave him far more “ move north east” potential, but where did he go next? North West to Glamorgan.
He would get picked for England but no-one can work out where to find him.
In other North East news, Middlesex play Durham tomorrow while Glamorgan play nobody.
Tim Southee has the same problem. You can’t go much further southee than New Zealand. Marcus North, on the other hand, the world was his oyster.
Scoring runs against Leicestershire doesn’t count, though. Ask Kevin Pietersen.
Also, sigh.
Ollie Robinson’s back!