FORMER Oxfordshire paceman Jack Brooks celebrated his England Lions call-up with a devastating spell of bowling for Northamptonshire.

Northants reduced Essex to 54-6 at stumps on day two of their LV= County Championship Division Two match at Chelmsford.

Brooks, 27, claimed 4-22 from nine overs, including the wicket of England batsman Ravi Bopara.

His haul arrived in 18 deliveries at a personal cost of nine runs and left Essex in dire straits with half their side back in the pavilion for only 25.

Earlier in the day, the ex-Oxford and Tiddington fast bowler was named in the 12-man Lions squad to face the West Indies at Northampton from May 10-13.

Brooks appeared for the Lions, who are England’s second team, in one-day matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka over the winter and now has a chance to stake his claim in the longer format.

  • THE Oxfordshire Cricket Association (OCA) have decided to call off all fixtures scheduled for today due to the recent “atrocious weather”.