England pacer Ollie Robinson scripted history during the side’s first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, London. Visiting team’s captain Tom Latham won the toss and opted to bowl first in the game. Kyle Jamieson shone with a five-wicket haul as the Kiwis bundled out the hosts for a patry total of 140 in 39.4 overs. In reply, England pacer Ollie Robinson too claimed a five-for to provide the side a first-innings lead of 27 runs. The right-arm pacer returned with figures of five for 39 as England bowled out New Zealand for 113 in 29.5 overs.
Bowling in the second over of the New Zealand innings, Robinson claimed three wickets, dismissing Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra. This helped the fast bowler script history.
Robinson became the first player in the 149-year cricket history of England to claim three or more wickets in their first over of a Test match.
Overall, Robinson joined Nuwan Zoysa (Sri Lanka), Irfan Pathan (India), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Haris Sohail (Pakistan), Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland (Australia).
It was around Christmas that Robinson thought he would never play for England again. England at the time were playing in Australia and Robinson was nowhere near. But circumstances put him back on England’s radar.
England lost the Ashes 4–1 and were resetting. Coach Brendon McCullum messaged Robinson at the start of the season that the combative fast bowler would be considered.
Robinson, despite 76 wickets in 20 Tests, was dropped in 2024 for being slack on fitness and not a team-first player. But this season he was made captain of Sussex, owned to being a leader, and took 18 wickets in the ongoing County Championship. He was impossible to overlook and back in England’s good graces.
With Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse unavailable to play the first home Test against New Zealand on Thursday at Lord’s, Robinson was given the new ball and having to prove himself again, with the added pressure of defending England’s humble first innings total of 140.
It turned into a dream comeback. He dismissed Conway with his third ball, Williamson with his fifth and Ravindra with his sixth in a three-wicket maiden first over. The Lord’s crowd was chanting his name before it was completed.
“The first over I couldn’t feel my legs, I was so nervous,” Robinson told the BBC. “To get the first wicket, the emotion coming was incredible.”
He told broadcaster Sky Sports, “It was so loud. I was in a bit of a daze and just trying to focus. The crowd were amazing, it’s one of the loudest I’ve heard them here.”
He admitted he underwent an attitude change this season.
“I was in a place where I never thought I’d play for England again,” he said. “To get the text from Baz (McCullum) shifted my mindset. To get back in the team, I knew the date of the first day of the test and there was a lot of work. I’ve tried my best to get back in the condition for today. I know there’s a lot of hard work ahead.”
(With AP Inputs)
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