West Indies v England: Joshua da Silva's rapid rise from Surrey league cricket to Tests

Joshua da Silva has hit three 50s in his 11 Tests at an average of 24.72

West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva had a different definition of friendly to his Sunday league opponents.

In 2017, Da Silva was 18 and spending his summer with Old Wimbledonians Cricket Club in south-west London.

As you would expect of a future Test cricketer, he performed well, averaging 64 in Division Three of the Surrey Championship.

But it was in the more serene settings of the Sunday friendly scene that Da Silva truly wreaked havoc.

Across nine matches he scored 553 runs at an average of 184.33, including three centuries and two 50s.

Gambling on himself in his club's fantasy cricket league certainly paid off for the right-handed batter.

"I never really wanted to play those games in the beginning," Da Silva, now 23, told BBC Sport.

"But then everyone said, 'You can pick yourself in the fantasy league'.

"It was a 100-point deduction for picking yourself, but if you score a 100 anyway it's worth it.

"In one game the guys said I could retire after getting to 50 but I said, 'Nah, I'll get a 100 and then that's enough.'"

• England in West Indies 2022

The result was many recreational cricketers gaining the anecdote of a lifetime at the expense of a ruined Sunday afternoon.

Just three years later, Da Silva graced England's cricket pitches again, only this time in West Indies whites.

It was a rapid rise, which did not initially seem likely when Da Silva returned to the Caribbean from his time in London without a professional deal.

"From the stint in England I went into a club season in January where I scored a lot runs," he said.

"And from that club season I got my first contract with Trinidad.

"I made my first-class debut in December 2018 and in the following season I made a lot of runs so got the call to go to England during the Covid pandemic."

Da Silva's first outing for West Indies was an unofficial one as he came on as a substitute keeper during the third Test against England in July 2020 at Old Trafford after Shane Dowrich and his initial replacement Shai Hope were both injured.

While he did not make his debut on that tour, Da Silva did score a century in a warm-up game, leading eventually to his first Test cap against New Zealand in Wellington in December 2020.

"It happened a lot faster than I expected and probably a lot of people expected," said Da Silva.

His captain at Old Wimbledonians, Johnno Gordon, agreed.

"He was incredibly talented and we knew he was working very hard but we weren't sure if he'd make that level," said Gordon.

"There were plenty of tears from the lads at OWs when he took the field against England.

"He took a catch and did a stupid little celebration. We're just incredibly proud of him."

Da Silva scored 57 on debut against a full-strength New Zealand attack, featuring fast bowlers Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner.

He has kept his place in the side ever since and is set to start when the first Test against England begins in Antigua on Tuesday.

"I never really thought, 'Wow, I'm facing Tim Southee', I just went out there and was given an opportunity to make my debut in New Zealand of all places, I was just so excited," he said.

In two years, Da Silva went from making his professional debut to scoring a half-century against one of the best seam attacks in the world.

He has hit two more 50s since - will a maiden Test ton come against England?