Josh Tongue

His first season of county cricket was a memorable one. Tongue was a key figure as Worcestershire earned promotion to Division One in 2017, and he finished among the ten leading wicket-takers that campaign, collecting 47 wickets at an average just under 26. That return earned him a place with the England Lions.

What sets Tongue apart is pace. He is one of relatively few English seamers able to bowl genuinely quick, and his build allows him to extract awkward lift from the surface. He can also swing or seam the ball in either direction, a combination of skills that underpinned his strong start in the professional game.

His rise was interrupted when a serious back problem kept him out of action for a year, halting the momentum he had built. Beyond his bowling, Tongue offers useful runs with the bat, and if his development continues smoothly he has the potential to grow into a bowling all-rounder.