Summarize

Simplifying... Inshort

Dillon Pennington, a 25-year-old pacer who impressed in the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup, has earned his first England call-up.
With 169 wickets from 52 First-Class games and a strong performance in the 2024 County Championship, he's a strong contender for a Test cap in the upcoming WI series.
The England squad, captained by Ben Stokes, will play three Tests starting July 10.

Was a long read? Making it simpler...

Next Article

Dillon Pennington represents Nottinghamshire in domestic cricket (Source: X/@TrentBridge)

Who is England's new Test recruit Dillon Pennington? Decoding stats

By Gaurav Tripathi

Jul 01, 2024

02:37 pm

What's the story

England have named several young faces in their 14-man squad for the impending Test series against the West Indies at home. Jamie Smith and Dillon Pennington have earned their maiden call-ups for the same. The latter is a right-arm pacer who represents Nottinghamshire in domestic cricket. He recently claimed a fifer against Somerset in the County Championship. Let's decode his stats.

Details 

Who is Dillon Pennington?

Pennington, 25, represented England in the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup. He claimed six wickets across five games at an economy of 4.10. His raw pace and ability to swing the new ball impressed many, including South Africa's pace-bowling legend Morne Morkel. Pennington made his First-Class debut later that year. Seven years later, the pacer has earned his maiden England call-up.

Numbers 

Let's decode his stats

Having played 52 FC games, Pennington has claimed 169 wickets at 27.26. The tally includes nine four-fers and a couple of five-wicket hauls. Besides, the youngster also boasts 31 List A wickets at 29.51 and 28 T20 scalps at 28.74. With 31 scalps across eight games at 23.80, he is the second-leading wicket-taker of the County Championship Division One 2024 season.

Scenarios 

Will Pennington receive his maiden Test cap?

Pennington is likely to compete with Gus Atkinson for a maiden Test cap in the opener. Moreover, the legendary James Anderson is set to retire after the first Test. Hence, there are strong chances of Pennington receiving his maiden Test cap during the WI series. Notably, Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts are the other pacers in the squad.

Squad 

England's full squad for the first two Tests 

England's squad: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Chris Woakes. The two teams will lock horns in three Tests, starting on July 10 at Lord's. Trent Bridge (July 18-22) and Edgbaston (July 26-30) will host the second and third Tests, respectively.