It is likely that Josh Tongue's final act of the 2025 English summer was taking Nottinghamshire to the cusp of the Divison One County Championship title.
Tongue's 5 for 100, his fourth five-wicket haul of the first-class season, completed a thrilling victory against Surrey. Chasing a remarkable four titles in a row, the defending champions now trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points heading into the final round.
The new Division One leaders host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge next week, hoping to seal their first Championship since 2010. But it is understood they will have to do so without Tongue, who also took 3 for 43 in the first innings, with England erring on the side of caution to preserve Tongue for the Ashes, which begins on November 21 in Perth.
Tongue is currently on an ECB central contract, which is due to be extended next month, and has emerged as a crucial member of the fast-bowling armoury. His high release point, speed and ability to find movement on flat pitches are vital to England's hopes of wrestling back the urn in Australia.
Though unfortunate for Nottinghamshire and Tongue, who only made his debut for the county in April after right pectoral issues and a hamstring tear kept him out of action having joined at the end of 2023, his performances showed why the 27-year-old is worth the cotton wool treatment.
He was the difference-maker on day four of this de facto title-decider, bowling 17.2 of a tense final 55.2 overs of the match. A top speed of 93mph was surrounded by consistent pace in the late 80s, and consistent spells - the longest of six overs after the lunch interval. His removals of Rory Burns (ending an opening stand of 74) and Ben Foakes accounted for two of the top four, before a blistering final 3.2 over burst ended a dogged rearguard effort, taking the final three wickets to leave Surrey 21 short of their 315 target.
Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores likened Tongue to former England seamer Stuart Broad, for his knack of bending matches to his whim.
"The best person I ever coached on sensing moments was Stuart Broad - he knew when to up it," said Moores, who had two spells working with Broad as England coach, and is on the cusp of becoming the first head coach to win the Championship with three different teams (Sussex in 2003 and 2006; Lancashire in 2011).
"The way he [Tongue] impacted the game, it's reserved for [only] a few people. Bowlers are kings of the game, really, if they have moments like that, because they are the only people that start the process. Everybody else reacts to what they do. But when he's doing that, and at the top of his mark, we are glued. It's box office.
"Today we saw a player who is enjoying playing the game. He's talented, he's got pace and he's got something I think we should never ignore in a bowler - he's got an awkward action. You never ignore that. He delivers from past the perpendicular; it looks like it's coming in but sometimes it's going away."
England's caution with Tongue is understandable given his injury history, which includes 15 months sidelined with a potentially career-ending right shoulder issue. That ended up being alleviated unconventionally with botox injections, leading to a Test debut against Ireland in June 2023, followed by an Ashes appearance at Lord's later that month.
Further setbacks kept him out of action entirely in 2024. This year, however, he has delivered the most red-ball overs (382.3) of his career, of which 369.3 have come this summer. Not only was he England's leading wicket-taker in the Test series against India, with 19 from just three appearances, but he currently has more first-class dismissals (54) than anyone else in the ongoing English season.
"I feel like now I'm in a better place physically I can hold that pace for longer periods and longer spells," Tongue said. "Last year was a tough year for me during my injuries. But I know the hard work that I did over the winter just gone, it's going to put me in good stead this season.
"I did a few long spells during that Test series as well, so I knew I'll be able to do it for Notts as well. And that's the main thing, I just want to put all my effort into to winning games of cricket - and thankfully it's, paid off today."
Tongue is not the only player involved in the title race whose participation in the final round is in doubt. Gus Atkinson may also be absent for Surrey's trip to Hampshire.