When George Garton made his England debut in January 2022, it hinted at the fulfilment of promise first spotted by England when he was a teenager. However, his career was derailed shortly after - initially by a diagnosis of long Covid, and then the discovery of a blood clot on his lung.

The year before, Garton, a left-arm quick and promising batter, had been flying. Encouraging displays for Sussex led to an England ODI call-up - though Covid-19 scuppered chances of a debut against Sri Lanka - and he went on to help Southern Brave to glory in the inaugural men's Hundred, subsequently winning deals to play in the IPL and Big Bash.

Garton's skiddy pace and whippy action initially wanted for control, but he had shown evidence that he was starting to hone his skills during the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy, taking a maiden first-class five-for against Essex that included the wickets of Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence, and finishing as Sussex's leading wicket-taker in the Blast. The following April, he made a career-best 97, batting at No. 7 against Glamorgan, then dismissed England captain Joe Root cheaply at Hove, before his white-ball stock took off.

Garton caught England's eye in his debut season for Sussex, when he was a surprise inclusion, aged 19, in the England Lions squad to face Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A as the selectors continued their never-ending hunt for a left-arm quick of Test standard. Having represented England Under-19s in the 2016 World Cup in Bangladesh, he took a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket, against Leeds/Bradford MCCU at Hove, and made his debut in all three formats with Sussex's bowling coach, Jon Lewis, describing him as "a real gem".

With England suffering something of an injury crisis at the start of their 2017-18 Ashes tour, Garton - who had impressed in net sessions with the squad - was called-up into the tour party ahead of the first Test as short-term cover. He had only played nine first-class games at the time.

After missing most of 2018 due to a freak injury - he suffered a side strain picking up a suitcase from the baggage carousel at Los Angeles airport while rushing to get a connecting flight - Garton was afforded a run in Sussex's 50-over side the following year, though struggled for Championship playing time; a pair of fifties from No. 9 were a reminder of his all-round credentials. His white-ball potential was clear when he finished as the leading wicket-taker at the 2019 Abu Dhabi T10, leading to a trial with IPL side Rajasthan Royals.
ESPNcricinfo staff