Chris Jordan has had to wait longer than most for his moments in the England spotlight but the paceman needed just 12 deliveries to underline his match-winning qualities in St Kitts.
The 30-year-old seamer has played all three formats for England but has been used by selectors as a Twenty20 specialist for the past two-and-a-half years.
That means he has managed just 11 days of international cricket since the start of 2018, a curiously light workload for a man who sowed the seeds of a punishing 137-run win in Wednesday's second T20 against the West Indies.
Jordan rattled through the middle order, sending back Darren Bravo, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen in two explosive overs as the hosts slumped to 22-6 and eventually subsided for 45 - the lowest ever total by a full member nation.
Where he often relies on slower balls, wide yorkers and occasionally his own remarkable catching ability, his latest cameo was built around good, old-fashioned pace bowling, with three outside edges and one lbw.
And while his box of tricks may primarily be honed away from the England set-up, that remains his favourite stage.
"When days like today come off, every ounce of sweat is worth it," he said. "I'm working so hard at my game every day, I'd like to think I've improved.
"I'm training well, my body's in good order and one of the things I identified is that as long as I'm fit, anything can happen on the cricket field.
"You try add a few skills along the way, put yourself in situations where you gain a bit of confidence and keep trying to string together the good days. It's all worth it when you have days like this.
"I'll take any wickets, especially in T20 cricket, but it was nice to show another string to my bow. The ball was doing a bit and I was able to exploit that."
With solid support from the rest of the attack - David Willey, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid all taking two apiece as the innings subsided in less than 12 overs - even England were taken aback at the final margin.
"I can't believe it, honestly, especially for a T20 game on such a small ground and against a side where the big hitters just keep on coming," Jordan said.
"The bowling unit was up to the task but the communication was important, too, batsmen relating to us what they thought were the hardest balls to face on that pitch."
Another eye-catching performance would amp up the momentum Jordan has built over the past few days, throwing him firmly into the conversation for a World Cup squad that appeared to be passing him by.
He still qualifies as a long shot, having last played the 50-over cricket in September 2016, but he has not given up on going to the tournament alongside his close friend and Sussex teammate Jofra Archer.
The latter qualifies for England next week and has been guaranteed an audition for the squad. But will Jordan be there, too?
"It would be a dream for sure, 100 per cent," he said.
"I spend a lot of time with him and we do a lot of work together. If he makes, if I make it, whoever makes it, hopefully we can go all the way and win that trophy."
Barbie
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
