It was day two of the Lord’s Test and Ireland were facing a first innings deficit of 352 when James McCollum walked out to open the batting against England legend Stuart Broad and Matthew Potts.
Ireland’s top scorer on the first day has survived this opening barrage for 43 minutes but, defending his 26th delivery, his foot crumbled underneath him and he collapsed in agony on the hallowed turf.
“I knew it was bad straight away because my foot was pointing in a direction it shouldn’t have been,” recalled McCollum yesterday. “A scan in the hospital revealed I had dislocated my ankle and also tore a couple of ligaments on the outside. I was told it would be 8-10 weeks recovery time but I got lucky and was back in seven.
“It was still a long couple of months sitting on the sofa not being able to do much.”
It may seem harsh to say but McCollum has scarcely been missed at Waringstown who, in his absence, have reached the final of all three Cup competitions and despite losing two of their four Premier League games are still in contention for a clean sweep of trophies.
However, any team with the Ireland international in it is stronger and in his first match back last Saturday, he top scored with 61 as Waringstown beat Civil Service North to reach tomorrow’s Challenge Cup final.
“It took my while to get back into it,” he admits, but the lads are playing good cricket. We were put in on a wet seaming wicket so it was really pleasing the way we applied ourselves and delighted to be in another final.”
The Challenge Cup hasn’t been McCollum’s luckiest competition – tomorrow will be his fourth final and he has only one winners’ medal and he admits he doesn’t like the role of favourites, which Waringstown will have tomorrow.
“We have won both games against Carrick this season (McCollum top scored in both), although they were T20s, but as favourites you feel it’s a lose-lose situation. But they have players who can win games and we are going to have to be on our game to win it,” he says.
“Previously, we had an unbelievable team and every time we went onto the pitch we were almost expecting to win, but this season is different but the pleasing thing in Waringstown’s season (he can’t bring himself to say ‘our’ because he has missed so much of it) is how we have coped with injuries and unavailabilities.
“I was out for a couple of months, Graham Hume has been away with Ireland, James Mitchell broke his wrist, Lee Nelson dislocated his shoulder, but the lads have found a way to win against very good teams so it’s probably one of the more satisfying seasons we have had.”
And by the end of this month Waringstown could be calling it one of their greatest with tomorrow’s NCU showpiece followed by the Irish Cup final against Leinster at The Lawn on Saturday week and the rearranged NCU T20 Cup final.
In his absence, McCollum has highlighted one player who has been key to Waringstown’s success this year.
“Greg Thompson has stepped up massively. I can’t remember the last time he was out for less than 40, and usually he’s not out, it’s ridiculous form I’ve never seen anything like it,” he says of his club skipper. “We are in pretty good place and hopefully we can do the job on Friday and then the Saturday after."
The one disappointment – to put it mildly - for him on his return is that this week’s final is at Stormont, rather than The Green in Comber.
“I’m actually raging it’s been moved. I love playing at Comber. The last time we were in the cup final CSN made 285 and we chased it down with five overs left. However, Ross Waite is helping out with the pitch at Stormont and he has assured me it’s going to be a good batting wicket, so we will see.”
Yesterday, McCollum and his Northern Knights team-mates could only watch the rain fall in Pembroke as the second day of the T20 inter-provincial festival was washed out but the two points for an abandoned game was enough to give Knights the title before this afternoon’s final game against Leinster Lightning. Skipper Mark Adair will receive the trophy today.