Day 52: Taking a left turn

 The size of the family garden dictated the type of bowler I would become. It was just about long enough to bowl at some stumps at the other end with a short run-up. Being left-handed as well, it was hardly surprising when Phil Tufnell would become an idol. I even managed to get his autograph at Arundel one day. I wasn't a great fielder or a batsman. Tufnell could not be an example to follow.

Left-arm spinners have been the players I have looked I have looked out for and to try and emulate. I was too young to have seen Derek Underwood bowl.

There have been eccentric bowlers of the genre, Phil Edmunds, Tuffnell and Monty Panesar. It would have been great to see Tufnell and Panesar play more for England; neither personality seemed to fit into the England sides.

Ashley Giles, who wasn't as good as the two mentioned but had a consistency that captains like, he took wickets of some top batsmen and, under Nasser Hussian kept Sachin Tendulkar quite.

Giles, though, was derided with descriptions of him as a 'wheelie bin.' Then there was the spelling mistake on mugs at Edgbaston that dubbed him the King of Spain. He was an important part of the 2005 Ashes-winning side. He was a competent batsman, and on that final day at The Oval, he stayed with Kevin Pietersen as England closed out a draw that secured the series win.

There was another left-arm spinner making their mark on an Ashes series that summer. 15-year-old Holly Colvin, the Sussex youngster, made her England debut and helped her side to another monumental win for England over Australia.

Colvin beat many players with her flight and guile, and it is a shame she didn't have a longer playing career than those who saw her play knew just how good she was.

There are some excellent left-arm spinners in the women's girl. Sophie Ecclestone is up there with the best, and it is possible she can get even better.

England also has Kirstie Gordon, who I have seen play for Nottinghamshire and Loughborough Lightning before making the difficult choice of playing for England. Then there is Jess Jonassen, the Australian all-rounder who can be relied upon with both bat and all in a team of superstars.

Ekta Bisht, the Indian international, is just shy of 100 ODI wickets and has been an essential part of making India one of the world's best teams.

There are many others who I haven't had time to mention. I think it would be great to come back to each of them throughout the year. Maybe even make a podcast devoted to the art and speak to as many of them as possible.