Tim Bresnan will play his first match for nearly three months when he makes his comeback for Yorkshire in a three-day friendly against Lancashire at Headingley on Tuesday.
Bresnan underwent elbow surgery after England’s one-day series in India to try and overcome a problem that plagued him over the previous 12 months following a first operation on the joint in late 2011.
Since that initial operation Bresnan had struggled to recapture the form that made him a key part of England’s rise to the No. 1 Test spot in 2010 where he impressed against India and Australia. During the Test series in India late last year, he did not take a wicket in his two appearances in Ahmedabad and Nagpur.
He could yet come into contention for the Test series against New Zealand next month, although he is more important to England’s Champions Trophy planning where he can add balance to the side at No. 7.
“It has been a while since I played,” he said. “I’m feeling good and looking forward to playing against Lancashire. I have been bowling in the nets and the elbow has responded well. I feel I’m getting back to my best. For me it is now playing as much cricket as possible with a view to playing well for Yorkshire and ultimately breaking back into the England team.”
Bresnan is one of a trio of England bowlers at various stages of returning from injury lay-offs. Graeme Swann, who underwent a similar elbow procedure to Bresnan after being ruled out of the Test series in New Zealand, is hopeful of resuming bowling in the next few weeks while Chris Tremlett has recovered from an injury-hit 2012 that restricted him to one Championship match.
