SAM DALLING AT TAUNTON: Since the start of 2022 Hain has been untouchable in county cricket. If runs really were currency, he would need to bank in multiple places to protect his cash. Last summer brought 1,137 red-ball runs at 63.16
If you dare pose the question to a Warwickshire fan, be prepared to be met by incandescent certainty. Sam Hain for England? A thousand times, yes. Why, they will ask back, has it not yet happened?
They have a point, too. Having resumed what was expected to be a docile Sunday in Warwickshire's opening LV=Insurance County Championship clash with Somerset on 83, an hour into play Hain lifted his bat to acknowledge a 15th first-class hundred.
Hain's innings contained 13 boundaries. Almost without exception, they were stylish. Peter Siddle was clipped through midwicket; Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory were both pushed through the covers; a shuffle to leg and Jack Leach was bopped over mid-off for an inside out six. The Taunton pitch was a little slow paced, but even accounting for that, Hain had oodles of time. Far more than anyone else in the game.
Hain is within touching distance of international honours. He captained England Lions on their recent List A tour of Sri Lanka. But for a hamstring injury, he would have been in the UAE as part of a combined trip with the Test squad before Pakistan. He might even have earned a call-up when Tom Abell was ruled out of England's tour of Bangladesh, when they looked a batter light as a result.
Many view the 50-over game as Hain's best format. And with a List A average of 57.30 (famously, the best of all-time), that is a fair assumption. But he is a genuine all-format player.
The minor criticism – and it really is minor - would be Hain's scoring rate once well set. And please note, we are distinguishing here between a room at Claridge's and a suite at The Savoy. Hain is a fine player, and this was yet another fine hundred.
Hain played superbly for Warwickshire (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
His early Warwickshire years blended observing both Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott. And while Hain has a touch of the former in his stance, there is more of the latter in his steady accumulation.
Hain has taken steps, and successfully so, to address that. He is highly capable of scoring rapidly. His 112 in last year's Vitality Blast against Nottinghamshire came off 67 balls. A strike-rate of 215 screams dynamic cricketer. It earned him gigs with both Welsh Fire in The Hundred and Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash.
And so, with that as a backdrop, taking more than 10 overs to move from the late 70s to the mid-90s was, in the context of the match, a tad pedestrian.
At that point, there were two potential outcomes. First, and most likely, a draw. Second, a Warwickshire win. But for the latter to be realistic, quick runs were required.
The preferred approach of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum is clear. Hain knows this, saying as much when speaking to The Cricketer in pre-season: "If I want to play for England, then this is the type of cricket that they're playing. Either you go with the times or get left behind."
His innings was slightly at odds with that. But there is a balance to be struck, and it is a difficult one. He was praised by Mark Robinson, who referred post-play to Hain as Warwickshire's "Mr Consistent".
"Our batters played around Sam Hain, who is a good foil for our more aggressive players," Robinson continued. And there is the conundrum neatly summarised. Hain is the pivot around which the Bears build their innings.
That point is perfectly illustrated by his 133 run third-wicket partnership shared with Alex Davies. Davies made 93 off 108 balls, with Hain happy to play the understudy with 36 from 99. That meant that from 140 balls, Davies reached a century with 18 boundaries, while Hain reached 50 having grabbed six fours. Similarly, Hain was happy to support Jacob Bethell who made a breezy 19 before an unlucky dismissal.
Hain spent some of his winter with Brisbane Heat (Trevor Collens/AFP via Getty Images)
So yes, context is everything. With the ball nipping around in April, and against a fine, if undercooked, Somerset attack, Hain's first objective must be to bat for Warwickshire, to win games for Warwickshire. Playing for England registers high, but it is not an 'at all costs' goal. Hain has admitted that previously that approach has been mentally harmful.
If that all that sounds overly critical, it is not meant to be. We are talking about the minutiae, the tiny adjustments that can be made once already in the first percentile. Hain is at the very top of his game.
And in fairness, with Somerset 2 for 2 and 92 for 5, it looked like he had timed his innings perfectly. It took a stoic Tom Lammonby half century and some lower order support – where have we heard that before – saved Somerset. With the light fading and the spinners mandatory, hands were shaken with the hosts six down.
Warwickshire did, though, also let a batting bonus point go to waste. Their delayed acceleration meant they lost their final two wickets in the 110th over as they sought the final eight runs required. At this very early juncture, that might sound inconsequential. Remember though, they escaped relegation by just three points last summer.
Hain has been in England closing on a decade now. He arrived in Birmingham as a fresh fresh-faced 17-year-old. Born in Hong-Kong to British parents, he was raised in Australia. Moving thousands of miles from his family, his friends, and his support network was not easy.
In an honest and open conversation with The Cricketer last summer, Hain revealed the mental fortitude that was required, particular during the lean times.
Hain and Alex Davies shared a key stand for Warwickshire (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
For almost four years, the pandemic prevented Hain from visiting family. But having been able to spend time with them for the last two winters, his vigour has been renewed.
Since the start of 2022 Hain has been untouchable in county cricket. If runs really were currency, he would need to bank in multiple places to protect his cash. Last summer brought 1,137 red-ball runs at 63.16.
More of the same over the next few months, and with tiny (additional) tempo adjustment, might just make this the season. Sam Hain for England? No one amongst us would begrudge him that.
Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on England's Test tour with George Dobell in Pakistan, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.