Joshua Owen Hull (born 20 August 2004) is an Englishcricketer[1] who is a left-armfast medium bowler.[2] He plays international cricket forEngland atTest match level, and domestic cricket forLeicestershire.[3] In October 2022, he signed a two-year deal with Leicestershire,[4] after taking 28 wickets for the academy team during the 2022 season.[5]
Hull was born on 20 August 2004 inHuntingdon and was educated atStamford School.[1][6] Although his great uncle,Grenville Wilson, had played somefirst-class cricket forWorcestershire in the 1950s,[6] he had wanted to pursue a career inrugby until breaking his right arm at the age of 15. From a farming family, during theCOVID lockdown of 2020, his grandmother had a barn converted into a temporary cricket net where he and his brother Ollie could practise.[7] In March 2024, he citedMitchell Starc as being a player he enjoyed watching and would like to emulate as a bowler.[8]
In August 2024, having made only 10 first-class appearances, Hull was included in theEngland Test squad ahead of the second of athree-match home series againstSri Lanka, afterMark Wood's further participation was ruled out due to injury.[13][14] He was also made part of the Englandone-day andT20 squadsset to face Australia that autumn.[15] He was selected ahead ofMatthew Potts for the final Test against Sri Lanka at theOval, beginning on 6 September,[16] when he was presented with hiscap byAndrew Flintoff.[17] England's ninth-youngest Test debutant,[18][19] former England Test captainMike Atherton commented in theTimes that he was "as young and raw a fast bowler ever to have played for England".[20] Having been identified byBrendon McCullum as "rough diamond",[21] the England head coach explained before the game that Hull was picked for his future potential, and that he saw the player as "someone who is worth investing in" whatever his performance in the match.[20][22] Hull's maiden Test wicket came on 7 September from his 15th delivery, withChris Woakes taking a catch to help dismissPathum Nissanka.[23][24]
Hull was included in England's 17-man Test squad for the team's subsequentthree-match away series againstPakistan.[25][26] He was later ruled out of the tour due to injury.[27]
