At present, there is talk around the County circuit in England that there aren’t more destructive fast-medium bowlers in swinging/seaming conditions that Essex’s James Porter. He isn’t overly quick in terms of pace but has the knack of hitting the right spots for a considerable amount of time and that leaves the batsmen with a serious examination. His exploits were central to Essex’s Championship title in 2017 - their first in 25 years. As a young talent who played in the second-string sides of Middlesex and Essex, he wasn’t able to make much of a mark until 2014 when he finally made his First-class debut and hasn’t looked back since. Not only can Porter generate deadly swing but also has the ability to move the ball off the seam appreciably. He was very close to making his Test debut when India toured England in 2018 but eventually missed out on making the XI and soon, found himself out of the squad. Porter continues to be Essex’s premier strike force, having been their highest wicket-taker in 2017 and 2018, and their second-best in 2019 (behind his Harmer who topped the overall charts). At least in the home conditions, Porter is likely to get a nod in the future whenever a spot presents itself. Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan