Joe Root's rapid rise from SA Grade Cricket batsman to Ashes opener

JOE Root will line-up for England against Australia tonight, but a few summers ago he was wielding the willow for Prospect Pirates.

JOE Root will be one of the ­English cricketers standing in the way of Australia and Ashes survival when the third test begins tonight.

But just a few summers ago, the 22-year-old opening batsman was wielding the willow for the Prospect ­Pirates as part of a cricket ­scholarship.

Root was a member of the Darren Lehmann Academy during the 2010/11 season and assigned to play for the Pirates.

He scored 262 runs at 29.11 from nine matches and was a teammate of Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

A little less than two years after leaving the club, Root made his Test debut against India in Nagpur.

Root's coach at Prospect, Darel Hart, says the Yorkshire product looked "a really good player" during his time in Adelaide, but was ­surprised by how quickly he rose to international ranks.

"He was here to improve, he wasn't here for a holiday," Hart says.

"Looking at him you knew he could play ... and he had an excellent attitude.

"He fielded well and was always willing to do a bit ­extra.

"(The timing of his Test debut) obviously was ­surprising, but he went back and made runs in County cricket straight away then all of a sudden an opportunity comes and he's playing Test cricket."

Root finished the season in Prospect's B grade before returning to the UK in March 2011.

The Pirates went on to ­finish 11th on the ladder.

"I watched him play in New Zealand and am watching him during the Ashes," Hart says.

"Who would've thought we had two Test cricketers in the one team?"