Ball 'nearly chucked up' when told of England call

It wasn't quite a "Malcolm Devon" moment, when in 1989 Ted Dexter, then England's chairman of selectors, got into a muddle over the fast bowler's name, but there was some uncertainty as coach Trevor Bayliss met England's latest pace bowler, Jake Ball, for the first time.

The England Test squad were amassing for fitness sessions at the national academy when, in the fairly unglamorous location of a Loughborough corridor, they greeted each other.

"I bumped into him in a corridor in my Notts gear and shook his hand and I don't think he quite knew who I was," he said. "I passed him, went up and got my England kit and he said 'it's Jake isn't it?' It wasn't how I planned it to go but we then had a nice chat and he told me to carry on what I'm doing for Notts and see where it take you. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it goes."

Earlier this week, Ball said it would be "unbelievable" to earn an England call-up - despite the hype that had built during the early rounds of Championship matches which meant it felt inevitable - and he admitted to being taken aback when James Whitaker gave him the news.

"I had just had a chocolate tart from the Lord's lunch which I nearly chucked up over James Whitaker," he said. "Words can't describe the emotions I was going through. When I went back up to the dressing room all the lads knew what had been going on and everything went quiet when I walked in and they were all delighted for me. It was a special moment."

Ball's opportunity has come, in part, due to injuries to Mark Wood - who he has known for a long time and played a lot of second XI cricket with - and Mark Footitt, but with returns of 19 wickets at 21.15 so far this season he would have been pushing for recognition even with others available. It is quite a rise for a bowler for who 2015 was his first substantial Championship campaign.

"If you speak to most players they say it comes round quicker than you expect," Ball said. "Things snowball and get out of hand and that is what happened this year. If you told me at start of the year I would be in the team for the first Test I would have laughed but said 'yeah, okay then.' I am just trying to soak it all in and enjoy every minute."

Although Bayliss may not have been sure who his newest recruit was, there was not a complete 'new-school' feeling for Ball as the squad convened. His brief England Under-19 career in 2010 came in a side that included Joe Root, and the only one of the squad he has not played with or against is captain Alastair Cook - although he decided the first day together as a full England group was not the time to remind Root of the first-baller against him in the recent Championship match.

"I didn't want to dent his confidence before the coming series," he joked. "It was nice get him out and that's when you start to realise where you are as a bowler. I'm sure I'll bring it up over the next few weeks."

Though Ball may yet have to wait a little longer for the that first cap - it is between him and Steven Finn for the final pace-bowling slot - he added that the overall experience of the match against Yorkshire, which was televised and included 14 internationals, added to his belief that he was ready for the top level.

"I think going into it, having had the start against Surrey and Manchester and the media hype was starting to snowball. I felt not under pressure but I wanted to put my best performance in, in front of the Sky cameras, in front of all the pundits and a lot of media attention with Root and [Stuart] Broad playing. When it came to bowling, to put that performance in gave me a hell of a lot of confidence and it went on from there.

"I feel my game is at a place where it has never been before and I'm really comfortable with the way I go about my game and how I prepare. I still have a way to go but in terms of confidence and what I could offer the team, yeah, I feel ready to go."