Jon Lewis, a consistent county wicket-taker with his skiddy medium-paced awayswingers, seemed destined to be a no-cap wonder after frequently being called up by England only to be left out at the last minute. It started in South Africa early in 2005, when Lewis, a late addition to an injury-hit squad, was congratulated by his team-mates ahead of the rain-delayed start of the final Test at Centurion. It seemed that a first cap was imminent: but it didn't happen then, or at home during 2005, even though Lewis rocked the Australians with four wickets in the Twenty20 international pipe-opener at the Rose Bowl early in that famous tour, ripping out Symonds, Clarke and Ponting for ducks. His ODI career also started well, with three wickets against Bangladesh, but the Aussies seemed to work him out after that. Suspicions remained that he just wasn't quick enough to be an international force, and although Lewis did finally get a Test cap against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in 2006 - and again started well, the first of his three wickets coming with his third ball - he was sidelined when Pakistan visited later that summer. At 31 that might have been it, except as England's one-day attack continued to struggle with injuries and lack of form Lewis was the only quicker bowler to do the basics right. He retained his knack of grabbing early wickets, and had become an integral part of England's one-day plans until he suffered an ankle injury during the victorious CB Series campaign in Australia. Even so, he was retained in the World Cup squad though played no part. With the bat, he's an old-fashioned tailender, capable of the odd mighty blow, and he was named Gloucestershire captain in 2006 but couldn't bring success to the club. He stepped down after three years in charge after the 2008 campaign.
Steven Lynch November 2008