Olly Stone is ready to step in for Mark Wood as England’s premier fast bowler in the upcoming Test at Lord’s. Wood, who reached speeds of 97mph (156kph) against the West Indies last month, is sidelined with a thigh injury sustained in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Stone will be England’s only change to their XI for the Lord’s match.
At 30, Stone has had a career marred by injuries but has recently been in good form. After missing much of last season with a hamstring issue, he has made 28 appearances across formats for Nottinghamshire and London Spirit this summer. He hopes to emulate Wood’s pace, although he acknowledges matching Wood’s speeds will be a challenge. “It’s been pretty frightening watching him bowl this summer. I’ll try to touch his speeds,” Stone said.
Stone, who made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2019, has had back surgery and faced multiple injuries, including stress fractures and a torn ACL. Despite these setbacks, he remains enthusiastic about his return. “It’s a second debut for me, and I’m excited to play at Lord’s again,” he added.
This summer has been productive for Stone, who has also contributed with the bat, scoring 315 Division One runs at an average of 35.00. He is hopeful that strong performances could secure him a long-term place in the England squad.
England’s XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka includes: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, and Shoaib Bashir.
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