Jade Dernbach - Dazzler Mark II?
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
The Test No.1 ranking in the bag, England have set their sights on the top of the one-day pile and in Surrey paceman Jade Dernbach they may just have found a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success.
In the space of a week, Dernbach has bowled England to victories in Dublin and Manchester, equalling the best Twenty20 international figures by an England bowler with 4-22 in the victory over India on Wednesday night.
His ability to bowl brilliantly disguised slower balls, yorkers and 90mph rockets seemingly to order has added an extra dimension to England's attack, giving them the specialist death bowler they have lacked for so long.
Now, with a five-match one-day series against India starting in Durham on Saturday, England are looking to Dernbach to provide the cutting edge they will need against the reigning world champions.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan is confident Dernbach can deliver against the tourists, going as far as to compare the 25-year-old to Darren Gough, England's highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket.
"I've been really impressed with Jade Dernbach," Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.
"He bowls plenty of skilful slower balls, changes his pace and makes it very difficult for batsmen to get set. He's unpredictable - the last England bowler I've seen like that is Darren Gough."
Born in South Africa but nurtured through the Surrey academy, Dernbach's first taste of the England set-up came in 2008 when he was one of six young fast bowlers called up onto the ECB training camp at the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida.
The programme consisted of a month of intensive strength and conditioning training under the tutelage of current England fitness coach Huw Bevan.
"There was no cricket involved in that trip but we did play some basketball and volleyball and it was obvious then that Jade was a very competitive character," Bevan told BBC Sport.
"Whatever we were doing, he just didn't want to lose."
Three years on, Dernbach is a fully integrated member of the England one-day and Twenty20 sides, having played in the last eight matches across both formats.
He served notice of his match-winning qualities in the decisive fifth one-dayer against Sri Lanka in July.
With the visitors needing 17 from the last two overs, with two wickets in hand, captain Alastair Cook threw the ball to Dernbach.
Two balls later it was game over as the Surrey man fooled Angelo Mathews with a slower ball and fired a searing yorker into the base of Lasith Malinga's middle stump.
In Dublin last week, Dernbach repeated the trick by taking the vital wicket of England's nemesis Kevin O'Brien with a toe-crushing delivery just when he was threatening to blast Ireland to victory.
And on Wednesday at Old Trafford, Dernbach was once again the pick of England's bowlers as his devastating burst of three wickets in seven balls wrecked a promising India batting display and laid the foundations for England's six-wicket win.
Next to the India one-day series, and the biggest challenge of Dernbach's fledgling international career.
Yet to be capped at Test level, if he rattle the cages of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Dhoni and co, an exciting future surely beckons.
"Bowling is about constantly changing and staying ahead of the game," said Dernbach. "As long as I can do that and stay ahead of the batters, long may my success continue."
