Tongue 'emotional' after first wickets for Notts

Josh Tongue struggled with pectoral and hamstring injuries last year

England fast bowler Josh Tongue says he was both "nervous" and "emotional" as he helped Nottinghamshire to an opening-round County Championship victory on his long-delayed debut for the club.

The 27-year-old missed the entire 2024 campaign with Notts because of injuries following his 2023 move from Worcestershire.

His seven wickets in the victory against Durham at Trent Bridge, which included a match-turning four wickets in 12 deliveries on the final day, were the first he had claimed in any match since August 2023.

"It was an amazing feeling to back out here and to play for Nottinghamshire for the first time," Tongue told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"I had a bit of nerves performing with the crowd thinking 'is Tongue good enough?' But hopefully they have gone home really happy with the first win of the season."

Tongue's debut for Nottinghamshire came more than two months after he first returned to action with the England Lions in Australia.

He featured twice for the second-string national team Down Under, but had failed to take a wicket in their matches in Brisbane and Sydney.

His first scalp for 590 days finally came when wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson was caught of his bowling on the first day of the 2025 campaign.

He went on to finish with first-innings figures of 2-92.

"If I was true with myself I was probably a bit disappointed with how I went on the first day, conceding a few too many runs myself," Tongue said.

"But picking up those couple of wickets was a confidence booster because there were definitely stages in the winter when I was thinking 'am I going to get another wicket' and that sort of thing after being out for so long."

In what turned into a milestone performance by the twice-capped England Test bowler, Tongue went on to score his maiden first-class half-century before then going on to star with the ball with 5-66 to help set up the eight-wicket win.

"It was very emotional moment for myself," Tongue said of completing his five-wicket haul.

"The things I've been through in terms of injuries and stuff last year, and then putting the hard work in to be back on the field, and to make my debut for Notts, was an amazing feeling."