By David Townsend With Additional Reporting From Pa Media

Copyright independent

The 28-year-old T20 specialist missed nearly three months of the season after colliding with Leinster club mate Saqib Bahadur during a match at North County in early June, and spending the next 48 hours under observation in Beaumont Hospital.

“It was the bank holiday Monday,” Delany said. “I was at mid-wicket, Saqib was at deep square. Unfortunately neither of us called for the catch, both of us running with eyes on the ball.

“Next thing I remember I was on the ground, in bit of a daze and out of it for a while. It took me a while to come round but North County looked after me very well.

“I had fractured my cheekbone, my eye socket and a bit of my nose and there was also a bang to the jaw as well. I had a very small trace of a bleed to the brain but thankfully nothing too serious.

“The doctors’ main concern was my vision. I had to go into St James Hospital the following week where I learnt I was going to require surgery on the cheekbone — that was a bit of a surprise but it went pretty well.”

After a carefully monitored recovery program, he returned to action with Leinster only 11 weeks later and then proved his form in the first of Ireland’s in-house Emerald Challenge matches by top scoring with 71 for the Raiders.

After that, Delany’s inclusion in the 14-strong squad for the three-match T20 series against England was a formality, as 78 of his 99 appearances for the Boys in Green have come in the shortest format.

The second two matches of the England series — on Friday and Sunday — are officially sold out, with 4,200 fans expected on each day.

England will be captained by 21-year-old Jacob Bethell who says he is ready to embrace the “pretty cool” honour of becoming the youngest man to ever captain the visitors.

In doing so he takes one of the longest standing records in the game, edging out Monty Bowden who led England at the age of 23 back in 1889.

Bethell only made his international debut last September but has already been fast-tracked as Harry Brook’s stand-in in Malahide.

Addressing his first media conference with a permanent grin, he said: “The feeling is excitement and there’s a few nerves kicking around.

“It’s pretty cool. I saw a post the other day on the one-year anniversary (of his first appearance). I still remember that game at Southampton.

“Looking on a year from then, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve done in a year and pleased I’ve been given this opportunity.

“It shows I’ve got a bit of backing in terms of me as a character, not just me as a cricketer. I’ve loved every minute so far.”

Bethell is a former team-mate of opposite number Paul Stirling, the pair having opened together for Warwickshire in the Vitality Blast.

And Stirling said he was not shocked to see his old partner riding the crest of a wave.

“You could see the talent was there at 17, 18,” the Irish opener said. “He was a superstar.

“His ball-striking was so noticeable, it was world class already. I saw it quite close to home, so to see where he’s got to already in his career is no surprise to me.

“I’m sure he’s going to grasp it with both hands. But hopefully we can catch their team off-guard if things go our way.”