Kent Cricket in Conversation: Ben Earl
Friday 27th March 2020
Despite representing Kent in cricket up to Under-15 level, former all-rounder Ben Earl chose a career in rugby at a young age.
Now 22, Earl is playing rugby in the back row for Saracens, and made his England debut away at Scotland in February. He recently joined Bristol Bears on loan for the 2020/21 season.
We had a chat with Ben to talk cricket, rugby, and whether he’d rather go up against Manu Tuilagi or Jofra Archer.
– When and how did you first start getting into cricket?
“I started at a really early age – my Dad was mad keen on cricket so I started in the garden I guess.
“I joined the Kent County Age Groups at about the age of 12, with Ray Willis as my first coach.”
– Were you always a multi-sports person?
“I’ve always loved football and cricket, and rugby actually came a bit later for me. I’ve always played all three.
I think it’s a must for any young sportsperson to learn different skills in different sports to help you improve.”
– Who did you play alongside in the Kent Age Groups?
“In the age groups I played with current Kent players Zak Crawley and Marcus O’Riordan, as well as some great players such as Kai Appleby, to name a few. We had a really good team back then!
“It’s been great to see Zak and Marcus impressing for Kent, and to see Zak now playing for England, too. He’s always been a class player.”
– When did you decide to pursue a career in rugby over cricket?
“I think it was when I started playing rugby for England Under-16s. It felt natural to try and put a lot of my eggs in that basket at that point.”
– What was it like making your debut for England?
“My debut was unreal, especially against Scotland at Murrayfield during the Six Nations. It was incredibly nerve-wracking, and very cold, but it was an awesome experience and even better to win!”
– We saw Maro Itoje’s “suspect” bowling action during the Cricket World Cup, which of the current England Rugby squad are the best cricketers?
“There are some good players in the England squad, actually. My Saracens teammates Elliot Daly and Jamie George, who I think went to Uni with Sam Billings, are mad keen cricketers.
“Luke Cowan-Dickie and Willi Heinz are very able too!”
– Which current Kent player do you think could survive on a rugby field?
“Definitely not Zak Crawley!
“Grant Stewart could hold his own I reckon, he looks built for it, and Sam Billings would maybe do a job at scrum half, I reckon.”
– What would be scarier – tackling Manu Tuilagi or facing a Jofra Archer bouncer?
“Manu Tuilagi, every day. He can go around you, through you, or over you.”
