Lance Morris takes 3-29 against England after 20 months out, then cuts his hand at a party that night

On Saturday afternoon, Lance Morris’s comeback looked complete. By the evening it had been interrupted again.

The Western Australian quick cut his left hand at a party on Saturday evening, hours after his first professional match in 20 months. The WACA said on Monday that Morris would consult a hand specialist to establish the extent of the injury and a timeline for his return, and that until then there was none.

The game itself had gone as well as he could have hoped. At the WACA Ground against the touring England side, Morris took 3-29 from his 10 overs, even though WA lost the one-day match. England head coach Brendon McCullum described it as “very impressive”.

How long has he been out?

Twenty months, most of it lost to a back problem that needed surgery. A side strain then added about eight weeks to an already long rehabilitation. Saturday’s match was the first time he had bowled for pay since early 2025.

It is a familiar pattern. Morris has played 26 first-class matches since his Sheffield Shield debut in October 2020, a modest number for a bowler of his reputation, and he has been in and around Australian squads for years without playing a Test. His international experience is three one-day internationals.

Is it serious?

That is the question the specialist will answer. The cut is to his non-bowling hand, which is the good news. But a hand injury for a fast bowler can still affect fielding, batting and his grip at the crease, and WA will not rush him.

WA coach Beau Casson had said before the injury that Morris could be back in Sheffield Shield cricket before the Big Bash break in December, while stressing that the state was “not going to take reckless risks” with him. That timetable now depends on Monday’s assessment.

What does it mean for the Test summer?

It adds another doubt at the worst time. Australia’s selectors will name the squad for the New Zealand series after the fourth round of the Sheffield Shield, which starts on Wednesday, and they have already shown they are willing to make changes, dropping Marnus Labuschagne on Monday.

But Morris’s value to Australia has always been as the next one: the raw speed that could take over when the current senior quicks need rest or replacing. Every week he is not bowling pushes that further away. His Saturday spell was a reminder of why selectors have kept him in mind; the same night was a reminder of how little cricket he has managed to play.

What happens to WA?

Western Australia continue their Sheffield Shield campaign this week without certainty over their fastest bowler. After 20 months away, Morris needs overs in his legs, and the immediate question is whether the hand interrupts that build-up.