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When Olly Stone takes over as England’s stand-in fast bowler at Lord’s this week, he has promised to “try to touch” Mark Wood’s speeds. Stone will be England’s lone alteration to their XI for the Lord’s Test after Wood, who reached 97 mph/156 km/h against the West Indies last month, damaged his thigh in the first Test against Sri Lanka and will miss the remainder of the series.
In his injury-plagued career, Stone has only played three Tests, although when healthy, he has been a frequent member of England’s squads. Stone has played 28 times this summer for Nottinghamshire and London Spirit across formats, which is the second-most appearances he has made in a single season after missing the most of previous season due to a hamstring injury.
He will have a similar role in the side to Wood, being asked to bowl as fast as he can in short spells. “It’s been pretty frightening… the way he’s come in and bowled this summer is very exciting,” Stone said. “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.”
Stone made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2019, but then had back surgery in the adjacent Wellington Hospital in 2021, having two screws inserted. “It’s the best thing I ever went in for,” he said. “Thankfully – touch wood – so far, I’ve had no recurrences with that… I’ll keep coming back for Test cricket until my body tells me otherwise.
“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.
“I’ve always said that one of the reasons I went down certain surgical routes to have my back sorted was so that I could go out and play Test cricket again. It’s never been in my mind to give that up. If my body then gave up on me, maybe I’d have to step away. But thankfully, so far, I’ve found a way and I can be back out there in an England shirt.”
Ahead of what will be only his 53rd first-class appearance, Stone, who turns 31 in October, is optimistic about a healthy few years on the horizon.
“Although I’ve had these injuries, I feel as good as ever and ready to keep going for a few more years.