Will Jacks takes five wickets for England after emergency appendix surgery

Will Jacks has revealed that emergency surgery for appendicitis interrupted a family trip last month, before he returned to help England beat Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street. According to BBC Sport, the all-rounder took 5-22 on Tuesday, his best figures in 50-over cricket, and also contributed an unbeaten 46. His bowling figures ranked second among England spinners in ODIs.

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The 27-year-old had travelled to Edinburgh to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday when he became ill. What he initially believed was a stomach bug led to an urgent visit to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and an operation. Jacks told the BBC that his condition deteriorated quickly and described the experience as frightening, while thanking NHS staff for the care he received.

An initial recovery timetable of four weeks did not keep him out for quite that long. He returned a few days ahead of that schedule to captain the England Lions against Sri Lanka in a warm-up match on 11 September. He then appeared in each of the three T20 internationals as England swept that series, before producing his five-wicket performance in the opening ODI.

Jacks said rebuilding strength and fitness had limited his preparation, with bowling practice resuming only five days before his first game back. He has undertaken additional work on his core strength following the operation. Starting with T20 cricket helped him regain confidence, he explained, because the format restricted him to a maximum of four overs; his relatively light bowling workload in that series also helped.

His batting contribution on Tuesday came as England needed to preserve their innings. From 211-7 in the 39th over, they reached 265 in the penultimate over, with Jacks still unbeaten. He hit just one boundary in his first 43 balls. Jacks said the difficult start and wickets falling around him prompted him to reassess the target and concentrate on using the available overs.

The performance also came with Jacks serving as Harry Brook's vice-captain for the Sri Lanka series in Jacob Bethell's absence. Having moved from opening to a middle-order finishing role 18 months ago, he said he now feels comfortable responding to different match situations. He also acknowledged that greater security over his place has changed his outlook from the earlier pressure of trying to earn selection for the next game.