Last week was a deeply tragic time for the football and wider sporting community, as Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, lost their lives in a fatal car accident in Spain on Thursday. Tributes and heartfelt respects poured in from across the entire sporting fraternity.
One such tribute came from English pace bowler Issy Wong, a huge Liverpool Football Club fan right from her childhood. As England all-rounder Charlie Dean pulled off a diving catch in the deep to dismiss India’s wicketkeeper, Richa Ghosh, during the third T20I at The Oval, Issy Wong, who took the wicket, erupted in celebration as the crucial breakthrough came in the penultimate over.
The pacer ran toward Dean with a wide grin, imitating Diogo Jota’s signature crocodile celebration as a tribute to the Liverpool forward, who had tragically passed away in a car accident the day before. A lifelong Liverpool fan, Wong had planned the gesture ahead of the match but had chosen to keep it to herself until the moment arrived.
As Wong dismissed Ghosh, India struggled further to get over the line, with England clinching a much-needed five-run victory to keep the series alive. Wong, playing her first match of the series, made a valuable contribution. Alongside Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell, and Sophie Ecclestone, she helped tighten the screws in the death overs, successfully stalling India’s chase.
Having made her comeback to the national setup 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, she was left out of the England squad and spent time working on her bowling and other aspects of her game. It was during the A-tour to Australia that she found her rhythm again, getting among the wickets and making a strong case for her return.
In the only T20 match that took place, she went wicketless, while the other two matches were abandoned. However, in the second One-Day match, she claimed three wickets for 51 runs. In the lone Test match against Australia A, she impressed with a five-wicket haul. Overall, it was a decent A-tour for her.
Talking about the A-tour, the pacer said, “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 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 told in an interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network.
From thereon, there was no looking back as Wong features for Warwickshire in the ongoing T20 Blast and carries her momentum forward. She picked up 9 wickets while maintaining an economy of 7.16, in as many matches for the Bears leading up to the third T20I, which gave her a significant boost in confidence.
“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 been 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,” mentioned Wong, who even turned out for the Bears on Sunday against Lancashire, just two days after playing the third T20I.
Although she plays as an all-rounder for Warwickshire in county cricket, Wong has a different role with the England team, where she has been focusing on her bowling and sharing the ball with the likes of Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, and Emily Arlott. Wong believes that much like the game itself, her role can change from match to match. Instead of focusing on a fixed position, she aims to stay clear about her options and adjust to what the team needs on the day.
That could mean bowling in the powerplay to support a pace-heavy attack or taking the pace off to make scoring difficult. She explains, “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.”
On this adaptability and making adjustments, Wong said, “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.” While she was out of the national squad, Wong remodelled her action and focused on refining her line and length, putting in the hard yards to stage a strong comeback.
“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 were two very different pitches, very different situations, and 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,” she further mentioned.
Since making her debut in 2022, Issy Wong has featured in just 15 T20Is. Notably, she played only three matches across 2023 and 2024, picking up just two wickets. With her return to the squad, she’ll be eager to make a stronger impact and solidify her place alongside the likes of Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, and Emily Arlott.
