CHENNAI: As England all-rounder Charlie Dean took a diving catch in the deep to dismiss India's Richa Ghosh on Friday night in the third T20I at The Oval, Issy Wong, the wicket-taker, broke into a celebration. It was a much-needed dismissal in the penultimate over of India's chance, but it was also special for another reason.
Wong ran towards Dean with the widest grin while imitating Diogo Jota's crocodile celebration as a tribute to the Liverpool footballer, who passed away in a car accident on the day before (Thursday). A massive Liverpool fan right from her childhood, Wong had thought about the celebration before going into the game but hadn't disclosed anyone about it.
When she got the chance, Wong paid her tribute to Jota in her own way on the field. For her, it was also a message to his family, loved ones and the club that they will never walk alone. "It was heartbreaking news, but obviously I didn't know Diogo and I can only imagine what his loved ones and his family and his friends and his teammates are going through at the moment. But the impact like his, I think anyone who supports Liverpool was devastated because there's so many happy moments that I look back and think of that he kind of brought us," Wong told this daily in an interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network.
"I guess like a little tribute, but also a message to kind of his family and his loved ones that, as a club, I guess we, like they'll never walk alone and we kind of support them in that. I was grateful Dino took the catch and gave me that opportunity, I guess, and I had a bit of tape on my wrist, I don't think you can see it on the telly, it said, 'you'll never walk alone' as well," she added.
"It was like a couple of days of actually really reflecting as to what he brought as a player. I think what he gave us on the pitch was, I certainly felt like whenever he stepped on the pitch for Liverpool, he would fight to get us over the line and as a fan, that feeling of actually this guy wants to, is willing to put in the hard yards and to get a result and to work really hard for the badge."
As Wong dismissed Ghosh, India struggled to get across the line with England securing a much-needed five-run win to keep the series alive. Wong, playing her first match of the series, had her part in it as well. She, along with Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell and Sophie Ecclestone, pulled things back in the death overs to choke India's chase.
Having made her comeback to the national set-up earlier during the West Indies series, Wong has been enjoying her cricket since the start of the English summer. After the series against Ireland last September, Wong had been out of the England side, working on her bowling among other things. It was during the A-tour to Australia where Wong was among wickets again. "I guess that A tour was a really nice time for me. I spent all winter pretty much in the UK indoors or in the gym and stuff. I felt like, from a skill point of view, I was in a really good place. But obviously, to put that into games is slightly different. So that A tour was fantastic timing, I guess, for me to come off the back of a big winter of development to then be able to put that out in the park in games that mattered," Wong explained.
From thereon, there was no looking back as Wong turned out for Warwickshire in the T20 Blast and kept up the momentum. She took nine wickets in as many games for the Bears before the third T20I against England and that had handed her a major confidence boost. "I've been really excited to play for the Bears. I've loved it. I've been there since I was nine. So I don't think you'll find many people more passionate about playing county cricket than I've loved it this year. I've been really grateful we've got a good group as well and I've been quite relaxed, but it's been a great place for me to go out and enjoy my cricket. And I've certainly had a great start to the summer in terms of how much I've enjoyed it," said Wong, who even turned out for the Bears on Sunday against Lancashire after playing the third T20I on Friday.
Although she plays an all-rounder for Warwickshire in county cricket, Wong has different responsibilities with the English team where she has been sharing the ball with the likes of Bell, Filer and Emily Arlott. "I think like games of cricket, unless you bowl the first over or open the batting, it's hard to get hung up on a role because there's no two games of cricket that are the same. I think going into the game, it's just trying to be really clear on my options whenever I get that opportunity. And then trying to read the room, so to say, and just assess what that role needs to be for the team that day. One day it might be to bowl in the powerplay and try to back Lauren at the other end and try and offer maybe pace on both ends. Or some days it might actually, like the other day, it was trying to take pace off and make it really hard.
"I think I've worked really hard to give myself those options so that I feel like I'm comfortable in more than two or three situations. And yes, I think like even the role I played at The Oval for England and then the role I played for the Bears Sunday, two very different pitches, very different situations, very different opponents. So I think it's just trying to build that experience. And the more games of cricket I play, the more I'm learning. And I hope, you know, going forward that I can get those experiences we like."
Even though it is another must-win game, come Wednesday, both England and Wong would be hoping take the momentum from the win in the third T20I and build on it.
"I think we can only think about it one game at a time and that's always been the case. That doesn't change now. I think like we've got some characters in this scene that love a challenge and love to get stuck into that. So we'll lean on that. But I think it's just been really, really clear and having that clarity, that calmness is so important. Underneath that, still having that kind of, that desire to come out there and to put out a strong performance because we're going to need a good performance to beat them because they're a good side. But I think we want to see the challenge of that and how exciting that is," Wong signed off.
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