Jane Cable watched James Tomlinson take his 50th First Class wicket of the season.

It hasn’t been very often this season that there’s been cause to put the flags out at The Rose Bowl, but with James Tomlinson becoming only the second bowler this year to reach the landmark of 50 First Class wickets (and the first in LVCC Division 1), there is every reason to celebrate today.

Especially if you consider that, even with his 9 wicket haul in the current match, James’ total number of First Class wickets is 98. James’ career has been blighted by injury, but when I spoke to him at the beginning of the season he sounded confident that the result of yet another operation over the winter, plus an emphasis on consistency and swing rather than pace, would reap rewards.

The first indication that this would be the case was at Taunton at the beginning of May, when James made career best figures of 8 for 46, his victims including Trescothick for 11 and Langer for 4. At one point Somerset were 23 for 6 – with all the wickets having fallen to Tomlinson. Since then his progress has been a little steadier, but 5 for 35 against Sussex, and the prize scalps of Mark Ramprakash and Andrew Flintoff, must have been high spots in James’ season.

His 5 for 53 in the first innings of this game against Yorkshire set up the 50 wicket haul magnificently, but having opened the bowling in the second innings, so nervous did he appear that Dimi had to take him off after only two overs. He returned to the fray from the Pavilion End, and almost immediately had Yorkshire’s best batsman, Jacques Rudolph, caught behind for 2. The next ball he trapped Lyth lbw – was it possible he would reach his 50th First Class wicket of the season with a hat trick?

Of course, fairy tales don’t often happen, even in cricket. But the 50th scalp came soon enough when Brophy was caught behind without scoring, and the game stopped momentarily for Tomlinson to receive the congratulations of his Hampshire colleagues and the watching crowd. The icing on the cake was taking Rashid for 6 – another Yorkshireman caught behind off a straight ball.

Best bowling figures for the season so far, second bowler to reach 50 First Class wickets… what a season Tomlinson is having. And when he comes down from whatever cloud he’s currently floating on, I promise I’m going to talk to him about it.

Photos - Barry Zee

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