England quick Graham Onions said his five-wicket haul on his Test debut against the West Indies in the series opener here at Lord's was a reward for the hard work he'd put in during the off-season.
England quick Graham Onions said his five-wicket haul on his Test debut against the West Indies in the series opener here at Lord's was a reward for the hard work he'd put in during the off-season.
The 26-year-old Durham paceman enjoyed a dramatic start to his international career here on Thursday when,
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England's Graham Onions leads his team off the field after taking a fifer on debut against West Indies at Lord's yesterday.. PIC/AFP |
after being dismissed for a duck, he took five wickets for 38 runs in 9.3 overs as West Indies were made to follow-on.
At stumps on the second day the tourists were 39 for two in their second innings, still 186 runs behind, after Onions whose first four wickets came in just seven balls had helped dismiss them for 152 in reply to England's first innings 377.
"It's been a day I'll never forget. It's a cliche but it is a dream come true," said Onions, who took three wickets in his sixth over to dismiss Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor and Sulieman Benn.
Onions said of being left out of county champions Durham's title-clinching match away to Kent last season had spurred him into action.
"I've been through a lot of ups and downs. It hurt me when I didn't travel down to Kent when Durham won the Championship, I could have taken it one of two ways. I spent a lot of time in the gym and I felt fit and strong."
