Saturday, November 23, 2024

England v Sri Lanka: Olly Stone named in side for second Test at Lord’s

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Stone is the only change to the England side, meaning Chris Woakes is passed fit despite appearing to struggle on the final day of the win in Manchester.

By returning to the England team, Stone will achieve the rare feat of winning his first four Test caps against four different teams, having previously featured against the Irish, India and New Zealand.

He is the latest pace bowler to get his chance in the England side as the attack continues to regenerate following retirements, injuries and selection decisions.

Wood, 34, has been in superb form this summer, bowling spells of electrifying pace and Stone is capable of touching 90mph.

“I feel like it’s coming out nicely,” he added. “There are times when it clicks more than others. My paces are up there and the gun will tell us.

“I’ve also tried to up my skill, so it’s not necessarily about running in and being as fast as I can and putting that strain through my body. It’s a mixture of both and hopefully I can show my skills this week.”

When Wood was ruled out, England opted to call-up Leicestershire left-armer Josh Hull, despite the 20-year-old only managing 16 wickets in his 10 first-class matches at an average of 62.

That meant Ollie Robinson, who was dropped at the start of the summer, continued to be overlooked, while there is still no England call for prolific Essex seamer Sam Cook.

England selector Luke Wright said he “feels” for Cook and that he is “on the radar”, while Robinson “can get back in”.

“Sam has been very aware of how we’re looking to balance our pace attack and he’s close,” said Wright.

“For Ollie, it’s been said enough times, we want him to show that he’s robust enough to be able to stand up to the rigours of Test cricket.”

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