Sussex opener Ali Orr took the County Championship by storm last season. After making his debut the season before, Orr hit three centuries in his 12 matches, averaging 47.59 in a stellar campaign.
Most admirable was the 21-year-old’s 198 in the final fixture of the season against Glamorgan. The 174-ball knock included a whopping 18 fours and 10 sixes.
People took notice. And talk of England selection quickly began.
Under new coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum, the Three Lions have taken a gung-ho approach to test cricket, winning 10 out of the 12 matches that he’s helmed.
Orr himself is a fan of “Baz-ball”. The left-hander said: “It’s a lot of fun to watch. Even my mum’s started watching test match cricket.
“Given the freedom, given the situation, that’s the way I love to play … express myself, enjoy it and play some shots. Hopefully, it’s something I get to experience.”
Although optimistic, the Sussex star remained cautious about the all-out attacking approach.
He said: “There’s situations for it. You play at certain grounds, against certain bowlers, where it’s a lot harder. The situation determines the way you play it.”
Orr has certainly played the situation before. His maiden ton, a dogged 119 against Kent, came off 254 balls. The home-grown batter was resolute in defence, seeing off some impressive bowling on a moving pitch.
He spent his winter down under, playing for East Torrens in Adelaide premier cricket. Although the runs didn’t flow as freely as he’d have hoped, Orr remains grateful for his time in Australia.
He said: “It was a good experience in learning how to manage expectations. People were expecting me to score a lot of runs, produce a lot more performances than I did.”
Come May, Ali and his team-mates will be joined by Steve Smith. The masterful Australian batter is due to play for the county before the 2023 Ashes.
His first two fixtures are away to Worcestershire and Leicestershire before facing his international team-mate Marnus Labuschagne when Glamorgan visit Hove on Thursday 18 May.
The anticipation around his arrival is palpable – and an animated Orr said: “Words can’t describe how excited I am.”
The first day of the three-day friendly against Exeter University at the 1st Central County Ground was lost to a waterlogged outfield.
Sussex are due to start their competitive campaign against Durham at Hove on Thursday (6 April) – Orr’s 22nd birthday. Fans will hope that he marks it in style.
