Fast bowler Olly Stone will replace the injured Mark Wood in the England team to play Sri Lanka in the second Test at Lord’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday. Mark Wood injured his thigh during the first Test and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.
The 30-year-old Olly Stone, who has made three Test appearances in an injury-plagued career, will play in his first Test since June 2021. Olly Stone says he will try and replicate the role Wood has been assigned for England: bowl really, really fast. England initially called up Leicestershire quick Josh Hull to their Test squad as Wood’s replacement. However, the team management has opted for Olly Stone’s experience over the uncapped Hull for the crucial Lord’s Test.
Olly Stone last played a Test match in 2021 and career glimpse as red ball cricketer
Olly Stone, who was part of the initial squad but was released before the series opener, brings valuable experience to the lineup. With three Test matches under his belt, the 30-year-old has picked up 10 wickets at an average of 19.40. His ability to generate pace and extract bounce from the pitch makes him a potent weapon, especially on the Lord’s surface known for its assistance to seamers.
The rest of England’s lineup remains unchanged from the first Test, with Dan Lawrence retaining his place as opener after scoring 30 and 34 in the previous match. The team continues to adapt to the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes and opener Zak Crawley, both sidelined due to injuries.
Olly Stone will cap his recovery from a career-rescuing operation to insert two screws into his back, which took place in the hospital next to Lord’s in 2021, by returning to St John’s Wood and the England Test side. After a three-year absence he comes in for the second match against Sri Lanka on Thursday, as a replacement for the injured Mark Wood.
Olly Stone, the only change to the side that won at Old Trafford on Saturday, made his Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s in 2019 and had not returned to the venue until his stint with London Spirit in the Hundred this summer. The 30‑year‑old’s recall to the Test side follows an unexpected emergence as a potential all-rounder.
He has averaged 35 in nine innings for Nottinghamshire this year in the County Championship, a massive improvement on the 15.33 and 16.33 he posted in his past two first‑class summers and having scored one previous red‑ball half‑century, this year there have been three. Olly Stone has played Twenty20 franchise cricket in Australia, Pakistan and South Africa, but a return to the Test team was always his goal.
Twenty-five players have bowled for England since Olly Stone was last picked, against New Zealand in 2021, but he continued to feel that he was an injury-free run away from selection. Olly Stone relished being called to English National side and has spoken his heart about it.
Olly Stone looking to replicate Mark Wood’s speed guns in ENG vs SL 2nd Test
England pacer Olly Stone admitted that it will be tough to replicate the speeds clocked by Mark Wood as he prepares for his return to Test cricket. The right-arm speedster said watching Mark Wood run in and bowl this summer has been extremely exciting.
Mark Wood suffered a thigh muscle strain during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester, rendering him unavailable for the rest of the series. Stone will take his spot for the second Test at Lord’s, beginning on August 29 as England make just one change to their XI.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the second Test, the 30-year-old promised to try his best to replicate Wood’s speeds. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he stated:
“It’s been pretty frightening… the way he’s come in and bowled this summer is very exciting. Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He’s obviously up there with the fastest in the world so I’m not sure if I’ll match it – but I’ll give it a good shot.”
The Northamptonshire seamer made his Test debut in 2019, but has played only three matches in the longest format so far, the last of which came in 2021 against New Zealand. However, he has promising first-class numbers, bagging 167 wickets in 52 fixtures at 27.07 apiece.
“I just love the slog of that hard graft” – Olly Stone
Olly Stone remarked that he has been waiting to return to Test cricket for a long time and loves the format, given how it examines a player on multiple levels. He said:
“I just love the feeling of coming off after a long four or five days, on the back of a hard-fought win. It’s more than just skill at times: it’s your character, and the way you are out there as a team for those four or five days. It’s something that white-ball cricket can’t give you. I just love the slog of that hard graft, going out there and providing your team with something different to help you try to win the game.”
Sri Lanka put up a good fight in the opening Test, but the hosts managed to seal a five-wicket win on Day 4. However, Ollie Pope and his men will still need to be at their best at Lord’s to clinch the series.