Jake Ball (cricketer)

{{short description|English cricketer (born 1991)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Jake Ball | image = 4 10 Jake Ball.jpg |caption = Ball in 2019 | country = England | fullname = Jacob Timothy Ball | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|3|14|df=yes}} | birth_place = Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England | heightft = 6 | heightinch = 5.5 | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm fast-medium | role = Bowler | family = {{ubl|Bruce French (uncle)|Neil French (uncle)}} | international = true | internationalspan = 2016–2018 | testdebutdate = 14 July | testdebutyear = 2016 | testdebutagainst = Pakistan | testcap = 671 | lasttestdate = 23 November | lasttestyear = 2017 | lasttestagainst = Australia

| club1 = Nottinghamshire | year1 = {{nowrap|2009–2023}} | clubnumber1 = 28 | club2 = Sydney Sixers | year2 = 2020/21 | clubnumber2 = 24 | club3 = Welsh Fire | year3 = 2021–2024 | club4 = Somerset | year4 = {{nowrap|2024–present}} | club5 = → Durham (loan) | year5 = 2025 | club6 = → Kent (loan) | year6 = 2025

| clubnumber4 = 14 | columns = 4 | column1 = Test | matches1 = 4 | runs1 = 67 | bat avg1 = 8.37 | 100s/50s1 = 0/0 | top score1 = 31 | deliveries1 = 612 | wickets1 = 3 | bowl avg1 = 114.33 | fivefor1 = 0 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 1/47 | catches/stumpings1 = 1/– | column2 = ODI | matches2 = 18 | runs2 = 38 | bat avg2 = 9.50 | 100s/50s2 = 0/0 | top score2 = 28 | deliveries2 = 947 | wickets2 = 21 | bowl avg2 = 46.66 | fivefor2 = 1 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 5/51 | catches/stumpings2 = 5/– | column3 = FC | matches3 = 88 | runs3 = 1,195 | bat avg3 = 12.44 | 100s/50s3 = 0/0 | top score3 = 49* | deliveries3 = 13,286 | wickets3 = 256 | bowl avg3 = 30.03 | fivefor3 = 8 | tenfor3 = 0 | best bowling3 = 6/49 | catches/stumpings3 = 17/– | column4 = LA | matches4 = 103 | runs4 = 198 | bat avg4 = 8.60 | 100s/50s4 = 0/0 | top score4 = 28 | deliveries4 = 4,495 | wickets4 = 132 | bowl avg4 = 32.86 | fivefor4 = 1 | tenfor4 = 0 | best bowling4 = 5/51 | catches/stumpings4 = 20/– | date = 11 May | year = 2026 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/414990.html ESPNcricinfo }} '''Jacob Timothy Ball''' (born 14 March 1991) is an English cricketer. Ball is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium pace. He was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England and educated at the Meden School in Market Warsop.<ref name="PRO">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/370199.html|title=Player profile: Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> On 14 July 2016 he made his Test debut for England against Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/913641.html |title=Pakistan tour of England and Ireland, 1st Investec Test: England v Pakistan at Lord's, Jul 14-18, 2016 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=14 July 2016 }}</ref> His uncle, Bruce French, also played Test cricket for England and was chosen to present Ball with his England cap before his Test debut in July 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/36641370|title = Relive Misbah's 'moment of the summer'|publisher = BBC Sport|date = 7 July 2016}}</ref>

== Under-19s Career == Ball made his debut for England Under-19s in July 2010, playing two Youth Test matches against Sri Lanka Under-19s at the County Ground, Northampton and North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_Test_Matches.html|title=Youth Test Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011|archive-date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717144701/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_Test_Matches.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was during this series that he made his only Youth One Day International appearance at Fenner's, Cambridge and his only Youth Twenty20 International appearance at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_One-Day_International_Matches.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707135121/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_One-Day_International_Matches.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 July 2012|title=Youth One-Day International Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_Twenty20_International_Matches.html|title=Youth Twenty20 International Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011|archive-date=7 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707080824/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Youth_Twenty20_International_Matches.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Domestic career== Ball made his debut for Nottinghamshire in a List A match in the 2009 Pro40 against Sussex in what was his only appearance that season. He was notably West Indian Dwayne Smith's hat-trick wicket in this match. He next appeared for Nottinghamshire in the 2010 season in the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40 against Leicestershire, again his only appearance in that season.<ref name="LAM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/List_A_Matches.html|title=List A Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> In the 2011 season, he made his first-class debut in the season starting Champion County match against the Marylebone Cricket Club at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> He bowled five wicketless overs in the Marylebone Cricket Club's first-innings, while in Nottinghamshire's first-innings he was dismissed for 4 by Hamid Hassan. In the Marylebone Cricket Club's second-innings, he ended with figures of 3/72 from 16 overs. He ended Nottinghamshire's second-innings unbeaten on zero, with Nottinghamshire losing the match by 174 runs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/315/315961.html|title=Marylebone Cricket Club v Nottinghamshire, 2011|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref>

Though this was his only first-class appearance that season, he did make five further List A appearances for the county.<ref name="LAM"/> To date, he has taken a total of 6 wickets in these matches, which have come at an average of 42.33, with best figures of 3/32,<ref name="LABOWL">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/a_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=List A Bowling For Each Team by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> while with the bat he has scored 41 runs in five innings at a batting average of 20.50, with a high score of 19 not out.<ref name="LABAT">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/a_Batting_by_Team.html|title=List A Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> He also made a single Twenty20 appearance against Lancashire in the Friends Provident t20 at Old Trafford.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/370/370199/Twenty20_Matches.html|title=Twenty20 Matches played by Jake Ball|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=9 December 2011}}</ref>

In February 2022, he was retained by Welsh Fire for the 2022 season of The Hundred.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60477088 |title=The Hundred 2022: latest squads as Draft picks revealed |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=5 April 2022}}</ref>

In October 2023, following his release from Nottinghamshire, Ball signed a two-year deal with Somerset with the option to extend for a third year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/67027406 |title=Jake Ball: Former England and Notts pace bowler signs for Somerset |publisher=BBC Sport |date=16 October 2023 |access-date=16 October 2023 }}</ref>

He had short-term loan spells at Durham<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/sport/25117656.somersets-jake-ball-joined-durham-short-term-loan/|title=Somerset's Jake Ball has joined Durham on a short-term loan|publisher=North Somerset Times|access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref> and Kent<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c8d19gmdv4do|title=Kent sign Ball on loan from Somerset|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref> in the 2025 season.

==International career== In May 2016, he received his maiden call to play for England national cricket team against Sri Lanka for the opening match at Headingley.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/36272668 |title=England v Sri Lanka: Uncapped James Vince & Jake Ball called up |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 May 2016 |access-date=12 May 2016 }}</ref> Ball was not selected for the final XI, but did make his Test debut two months later, in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's. Ball took figures of 1–51 in Pakistan's first innings, but failed to take a wicket in the second innings. Pakistan went on to win the match by 75 runs.

In his debut ODI against Bangladesh, Ball took figures of 5–51 to help England win the first match by 21 runs.<ref name="ODI">{{cite news |title=England tour of Bangladesh, 1st ODI: Bangladesh v England at Dhaka, Oct 7, 2016 |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1029819.html |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |date=2 October 2016 |access-date=7 October 2016 }}</ref> In doing so he became the first English player to take a five wicket haul on their ODI debut.<ref name="1stODI">{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/bangladesh-v-england-2016-17/content/story/1060709.html |title=Ball heroics snatch improbable England win |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In the second ODI, he finished with 2-44, but England lost by 34 runs to leave the series tied at 1-1. In the final match of the series, Ball did not take a wicket a finished with 0-44, but England won the match by 4 wickets to win the series 2–1.

Ball played in the fourth Test match against India, with England already 2-0 down in the series. He took 1–47 in India's first innings, as England lost the match by an innings and 36 runs. He kept his place for the final Test of the series, and took figures of 0-93 as India scored 759/7 and won the match by an innings and 75 runs, losing the series 4–0.

In the first ODI against India Ball took figures of 3-67 as England lost by three wickets. In the second match he took 0-80 as India posted 381/6 and England lost by 15 runs. In the third ODI he took 2-56 as England won by 5 runs.

In June 2018, he was named in England's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the series against India.<ref name="EngT20ISquad">{{Cite news|url=https://www.ecb.co.uk/england/men/news/738367/england-name-squad-for-it20s-against-australia-and-india|title=England name squad for IT20s against Australia and India|access-date=20 June 2018|language=en}}</ref> He made his T20I debut for England on 6 July 2018.<ref name="T20I">{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1119544.html |title=2nd T20I (D/N), India tour of Ireland and England at Cardiff, Jul 6 2018 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=6 July 2018}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=414990}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Jake}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Cricketers from Mansfield Category:English cricketers Category:England Test cricketers Category:England One Day International cricketers Category:England Twenty20 International cricketers Category:Nottinghamshire cricketers Category:Cricketers who have taken five wickets on One Day International debut Category:Welsh Fire cricketers Category:Sydney Sixers cricketers Category:English expatriate cricketers in Australia Category:Somerset cricketers Category:Durham cricketers Category:Kent cricketers