Topley trip leaves key bowler a doubt for England’s T20 World Cup opener

England suffered the first setback of their tour of Australia on Monday when Reece Topley tripped on the boundary advertising cushions at the Gabba during a fielding drill and turned an ankle, making him a serious doubt for the T20 World Cup opener against Afghanistan on Saturday.

The 28-year-old wore a protective boot on his left foot as he left Brisbane with the rest of the squad on Monday morning to travel to Perth, where they play their opening game. He will be closely monitored over the next couple of days, with no training scheduled until Thursday.

Topley has had a sensational few months in the format, having returned to the England side after nearly six years when a weakened squad without any of its multi-format players travelled to Barbados in January, and was considered very likely to be in Saturday’s XI. The 6ft 7in left-armer has played 16 matches so far in 2022 and is England’s leading wicket-taker this year with 17, while his economy rate of 7.80 is bettered only by players with no more than five appearances, in Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes and Liam Dawson.

Should Topley’s injury be significant enough to rule him out of the tournament England have two seam bowlers among their three travelling reserves in Tymal Mills and Richard Gleeson, who could join the playing group if required. England completed their World Cup preparations with a warm-up game against Pakistan on Monday, which they won by six wicket, but though reserves were permitted to play in that match. England chose not to use them.

Mills and Gleeson have both taken full part in net sessions but neither is exactly match-honed: Gleeson played in two of England’s seven games on last month’s tour of Pakistan, while Mills has only played twice