England's anachronistic offspinner

It is most unlikely that James Tredwell will, following his Test-best performance, kick open the door of Peter Moores' hotel room and write 'Pick Me' in blood over his walls.

Tredwell really isn't that sort of man. He might describe himself as modest if that wasn't too boastful.

He is described by his colleagues variously as "a good bloke", "a solid player", "a good tourist" and "an underrated bowler." All are true.

But what Tredwell has become, most of all, is an unfashionable cricketer. He cannot turn the ball both ways like Adil Rashid. He has never seriously considered adding the doosra to his repertoire. With his bald head and slight paunch - by the high standards of international sport, that is - he is unlikely to wrestle any vast sponsorship deals away from Cristiano Ronaldo just yet. He is a black and white cricketer in the colour age.

He is the inheritor of what, not so long ago, appeared to be a dying art. There seemed to be, like farriers and wheelwrights, little use for offspinners in the modern world of mystery spin and degrees of tolerance.

But the world changed fast and Tredwell, with his control, reliability and outstanding slip catching was there waiting for his country - the country he was sure he'd given his new mobile number - to call back.

This was Tredwell's first Test for five years. Life has been eventful in the meantime, with highs including a role in the England team that reached the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy and lows like a spell playing second XI cricket for Kent last year.

Indeed, Tredwell came into this series in the odd position of not being able to guarantee a place in his county side. He was dropped from the Kent team last year after one modest game having struggled to adapt to the different requirements of first-class cricket upon returning from the World T20. Adam Riley, a 23-year-old offspinner, was preferred and took his opportunity with some style. Tredwell found himself in the seconds and eventually out on loan to Sussex.

There were extenuating circumstances. Riley's Kent contract was set to expire at the end of last year and the exciting young talent was beginning to win admiring glances from other counties. Kent were in something of a use him or lose him scenario. Besides, it is unlikely a batsman would have been dropped after one poor game in April. A bowler's life is harsh.

"It's a bit of a strange scenario," Tredwell said. "I went back to county cricket last year and my game had gone a little one-day biased. I was bowling a bit round arm and under-cutting the ball.

"A mutual decision was made that I'd work on my action a little bit and good on Adam Riley, he came in the side and started knocking teams over."

Tredwell found some rhythm at Sussex and the club were pretty keen to offer him a longer-term deal. But Tredwell has Kent in his blood - he was captain in 2013 - and, after returning to the club in September, claimed eight wickets in a match against Hampshire. There is no guarantee he will have fought his way back into the first XI when he returns to England, though. It is entirely possible he could go from second XI to England and back again.

He owes his selection, in many ways, to the paucity of spin bowling resources in England at present. In an ideal world, England would like to have a spinner in their squad who takes the ball away from right-handers.

But Monty Panesar is some way past his best and not seen as an ideal tourist. Simon Kerrigan is in the development phase of his career and suggested reticence when given the opportunity at Old Trafford last year. Rashid, after a modest showing on the Lions tour, has not overwhelmed here.

So Tredwell had a chance to enjoy his day in the sun. Or perhaps that should be wind for it was the strong cross breeze that aided his drift and contributed to the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite, caught poking at one that may have left him a fraction.

Better was to come. Luring Shivnarine Chanderpaul down the wicket, Tredwell held the delivery back just a fraction - it was barely 49 mph - to see, to his obvious delight, the batsman fail to reach the pitch. Instead of driving through cover, Chanderpaul scooped the ball to Ben Stokes stationed there.

"We spoke a bit about Chanderpaul," Tredwell said with a big grin afterwards. "So there was a bit of plan there in trying to get him playing through the off side. Sometimes they come off and thankfully it did today."

Even when Tredwell wasn't dangerous, he offered his captain control and allowed him to rotate his seamers. Twelve of his 26 overs were maidens and of the six boundaries he conceded only one, a four to Blackwood, came from either a cut or a pull. It was immaculate bowling.

But none of this means Tredwell will retain his place for the rest of the series. England face a tricky decision for the second Test with Moeen Ali, established as the No. 1 spinner by the end of the India series and certainly a superior batsman, joining the tour at the weekend. One option might be to play both offspinners, though that will surely depend on the pitch in Grenada, with Moeen possibly promoted to a position at the top of the order.

After all he has gone through, the impression Tredwell gives is of a man who is simply grateful for the opportunity to play Test cricket one more time and is basking in the moment. He neither looks too far ahead nor back with bitterness.

"It can turn around," he said as he reflected on the last year. "If you work hard you can get rewards. That's how I look at it. Hopefully something good comes if you do. Generally it has.

"The Moeen situation has probably been at the back of my mind. But you try not to think about that. I wanted to give the selectors a bit of a headache, so hopefully I've done that now."

For selectors who went into the tour concerned they didn't have any spinners at all, it is a champagne headache. Modest and humble but reliable, Tredwell will soon have a fourth-innings pitch to bowl on and a Test match to win. If he pulls it off, it won't be a bad effort for the boy from Kent's second XI.