Fan who helped with cure for Moeen Ali finger injury comes forward

Norfolk resident Susan Thompson-Craig got in touch and sent Moeen a gel made from honey with instructions about how to apply it

Nat Andreae | 19/07/2023 at 15:39

The fan who helped to cure Moeen Ali's injured finger has come forward.

Having not played Test cricket since his retirement in 2021, Moeen's much-hyped return to Test cricket as a replacement for the injured Jack Leach looked to be in jeopardy after only a single game.

The repetitive strain of bowling on his return to the Test arena led to a blister opening up on his right index finger, keeping him out of the second Test.

But after Norfolk resident Susan Thompson-Craig got in touch and sent Moeen a gel made from honey with instructions about how to apply it, his finger healed up in time for the allrounder to play a key part in England's win at Headingley.

Thompson-Craig, who works in sales for Integra, the manufacturers of Medihoney, told BBC Sport that she "tracked down an address for him and sent him a load of bits and pieces, with a letter explaining that we work with the NHS and also that there was nothing in the product that would contravene drug testing or his Muslim faith".

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^{Moeen's finger injury... before and after}

Moeen then took the key wickets of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne before finding himself at No.3 in England's run-chase.

"I got home after the Edgbaston Test and a few days later I got a letter from a lady who said her husband is a big fan of mine," said Moeen after his recovery.

"It's amazing that someone had written to me about this. The only thing I'm really gutted about – I put the letter on the table in my house thinking after the series I will reply, now I can't find the letter.

"If the lady sees this, please get in contact because I really want to write back to say thank you."

Thompson-Craig's partner, Derek, came forward after seeing the appeal, emailing the BBC to pass on her details to Moeen to give an unusual Ashes story its happy ending.