Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Dom Sibley had important admirer that could lead to England recall
Dom Sibley was again a rock at the top of the order, making 53 in eight minutes shy of four hours on day two.
The manner in which Sibley goes about his work might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but what you want from an opener is someone who can browbeat opposing attacks.
In addition to just becoming the first batter to participate in five century partnerships for Surrey in the month of April, that’s 412 runs this season for the former England opener, at an average of 68.66.
During the Somerset game, Jamie Smith said: “Sibs has done it on four different wickets now and in all conditions. He’s batting as well as I’ve seen anyone bat.
“He deserves a lot of credit, Burnsey as well, for laying a platform for the rest of us batters who are looking to keep the scoreboard rotating.”
Although an international recall, given the current regime, seems to hinge on Sibley being capable of scoring at 70 runs per 100 balls, rather than the 34.22 he crept along at in his 22 Test appearances, the 29-year-old has an important admirer in Ben Stokes, England’s skipper.
After Dom made an unbeaten 133 against South Africa in Cape Town five years ago, Stokes, who was named man of the match, felt so strongly that the award should have gone, instead, to Sibley, he handed him the gong for posterity.
In an era when the most valuable currency appears to be performances in T20 cricket, it’s worth noting Sibley’s strike rate in the shortest form is a healthy 123.47 runs per 100 balls.
His match-winning 67 in last summer’s T20 Blast quarter-final win over Durham, which was followed by a 36-ball 48 in the semi-final loss to Somerset, suggests that even if England don’t come calling again, Sibley will be just as key in the T20s, which get underway against Glamorgan at Cardiff in five weeks’ time.
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD
