Wisden overview
Martyn Ball possesses skills in triplicate: handy batsman, sprightly fielder, and - the main string to his bow - tidy offspinner. At the time of his shock call-up to the England squad for the tour to India in November 2001, he was, according to his county captain Mark Alleyne, "bowling better than at any time in his career". Ball doesn't impart much turn, but he's a thinking bowler who relies on technical know-how. He pipped team-mate Jeremy Snape for selection because he was considered the better four-day bowler. Ball played for Young England in 1989 against New Zealand, taking 5 for 69 in the second match, but he wasn't seriously mentioned as a Test bowler after that. He's a pugnacious lower-order batsman and one of the finest slips in the country. And he responds to the big occasions ("I don't get het up on a bad day") as he demonstrated during Gloucestershire's one-day finals at Lord's. Short, sturdy and popular, he's as competitive as they come. He lives in Chipping Sodbury with his Norwegian wife and three children, relaxes with a round of golf and supports Manchester City. David Foot

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