London, Aug 16 (IANS): Gus Atkinson will miss the final of the men’s Hundred as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made him unavailable for the match to prepare for England’s Test against Sri Lanka, starting on Wednesday.
Atkinson, who impressed in his debut series against the West Indies by taking 22 wickets and being named Player of the Series, has only played one match for Oval Invincibles this season, where he recorded figures of 0 for 28 in 10 balls against Trent Rockets. He will not participate in Sunday's final at Lord's as he focuses on the Test series.
“Gus’s withdrawal is understandable,” said Sam Billings, the Invincibles’ captain. “It’s disappointing for him, but Saqib Mahmood has been outstanding throughout the tournament and showed his quality the other night. He will remain in the team.”
The Invincibles have already lost pacer Spencer Johnson to injury but Tom Curran will return after being rested on Wednesday.
Following Ben Stokes' hamstring injury, which has ruled him out for the rest of the summer, the ECB is being cautious with player availability. Chris Woakes has already been withdrawn from the tournament, but Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett (both from Birmingham Phoenix), and Jordan Cox (from Invincibles) are available for the weekend's games before the first Test.
“Jordan’s availability is great,” Billings said. “Having been in a similar position before, where you miss out on playing time, it’s fantastic for him to play in a final at Lord’s. It’s ideal preparation for international cricket.”
Jofra Archer, who is being carefully managed after recent back and elbow issues, is expected to be available for both Saturday’s eliminator and Sunday’s final if Southern Brave qualify. Although he was rested for two group-stage matches to manage his workload, Brave captain James Vince does not anticipate any restrictions for the knockout rounds.
“I haven’t heard otherwise, so I’m hopeful he’ll be available for both games if we advance,” Vince said. “There’s minimal travel involved and it’s only 20 balls per match, so he should be fine.”
In the women’s Hundred, Chamari Athapaththu is unavailable for the Invincibles’ eliminator against London Spirit on Saturday due to her commitment to Sri Lanka’s ODI series in Ireland. Laura Harris will join the squad as cover, and Megan Schutt, who has been with the squad throughout, will also be considered.