Dillon Pennington’s hopes of making his England debut against Sri Lanka have been dealt a blow after the fast bowler was forced to withdraw from the Hundred due to a hamstring injury.
Pennington, 25, has been one of the standout performers in the County Championship this season, taking 31 wickets at an average of 23.80 in eight appearances for Nottinghamshire. His impressive form earned him a call-up to England’s Test squad for the recent series against West Indies, where he impressed captain Ben Stokes.
Stokes had hinted that Pennington could be in line for a debut against Sri Lanka, saying: “There’s no doubt that if an opportunity comes to him, then he’ll be ready to go.”
However, Pennington’s chances of making his international bow have now been dented after he suffered a hamstring injury in his first competitive appearance for a month. Playing for Northern Superchargers against Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, Pennington bowled just five balls before being forced to leave the field.
Superchargers have confirmed that Pennington has withdrawn from the final two weeks of the competition, making him a major doubt for England’s first Test against Sri Lanka on August 21 at Emirates Old Trafford.
Stokes had praised Pennington’s work ethic and progress during his time with the England squad. “He’s done everything that you’d expect someone in a squad to do – even if they’re not playing,” Stokes said. “He’s got a naturally high release point, and I think his move to Notts has been very, very good for him.”
England are expected to name their squad for the Sri Lanka Tests imminently, with Zak Crawley considered a major doubt after breaking his finger in the third Test against West Indies. If Crawley is unavailable, Dan Lawrence is expected to deputise as Duckett’s opening partner.
