Harry Gurney aiming to bowl his way into England reckoning

Harry Gurney hopes bowling well for Nottinghamshire can propel him back into the international reckoning.
Harry Gurney following through during the NatWest T20 Blast match between the Outlaws and the Bears at Trent Bridge.  Photo: Simon TraffordHarry Gurney following through during the NatWest T20 Blast match between the Outlaws and the Bears at Trent Bridge.  Photo: Simon Trafford
Harry Gurney following through during the NatWest T20 Blast match between the Outlaws and the Bears at Trent Bridge. Photo: Simon Trafford

The 28-year-old left-armer missed out on selection for the ICC Cricket World Cup but, following England’s disappointing campaign and the subsequent appointment of Trevor Bayliss as coach, he hopes to be part of his country’s limited-overs plans again in 2015.

Eoin Morgan’s men commence their white ball summer with the Royal London One-Day Series against New Zealand, the fourth match of which takes place at Trent Bridge on Wednesday 17 June.

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Gurney is striving to be involved, but believes his best chance of selection lies in the T20 format, in which England play the Kiwis on 23 June and Australia on 31 August.

Harry Gurney in training with England.Harry Gurney in training with England.
Harry Gurney in training with England.

“Particularly in T20 I’ve got a lot to offer and hopefully I’ll be selected for those games over the next couple of months,” Gurney said.

“If I manage to force my way back into the ODI setup as well, then that would also be fantastic and I’m working really hard behind the scenes to improve my game and put some pressure back on in that setup as well.

“Had the new coach been Jason Gillespie for example, he’s a bloke that’s been around the county circuit for a while and would have seen what we can all do. He’s seen me bowl on a number of occasions over the last few years.

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“It’s a fresh set of eyes, but Trevor has got Paul Farbrace and the selectors who watch an incredible amount of county cricket, so I’m sure he’ll be really well advised.

“Hopefully I’ll get to play under him and experience his management style at some point this summer.”

Gurney, who took 23 wickets during Leicestershire Foxes’ successful campaign of 2011, also hopes to taste T20 glory with Nottinghamshire, who have had a good start to their campaign

Gurney’s next opportunity to impress the England management is Sunday’s NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Durham Jets and – with the north-easterners topping the North Division table – the former Leicestershire man knows the Outlaws must be at their best with both bat and ball.

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“What we’ve got with Darren Sammy is a very widely experienced campaigner who has competed right at the top level and won a T20 World Cup,” Gurney said.

“With Riki going in right up at the top, he’s traditionally been a good rope clearer for us towards the end of the innings.

“But we’ve still got some good players in that middle order and Sam Wood and James Taylor can hit the ball miles.

“Throw Darren Sammy into the mix as well and it gives you that depth. It also gives the batsmen around him that confidence to go and play with a little bit more freedom.

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“As well as launching his trademark bombs into the stands, he also offers us a little bit of variety during those middle-overs with the ball also.

“Samit Patel and Stephen Mullaney are absolutely outstanding during that period and have been for a number of years, but it’s always nice to have an alternative to mix things up.

“Winning the competition with Leicestershire was one of my career highlights.

“I played all the way through the group stages and the quarter-final, but unfortunately missed finals day with a side strain, so I’d be delighted if I got the opportunity to get back there and experience it with Notts.

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“I’ve been in a side that’s won it, myself and James Taylor, and I do know what it takes.

“When I look around the Notts dressing room, ever since I’ve been here, we’ve certainly got a squad that’s capable of winning it.”