Ollie Robinson returned to the Test arena at Lord’s on Thursday and, inside six remarkable overs, reminded everyone of the craft England lacked last winter. Yet the 32-year-old was quick to stress that, had the selectors called earlier, he “would not have been ready” to face Australia.
England had been bundled out for 140 on an oddly spicy surface, so the new-ball pair of Robinson and Gus Atkinson needed early strikes. Robinson provided four of them in 24 deliveries, his first over a triple-wicket maiden that included Kane Williamson’s second-ball duck. By the close New Zealand were 61 for 6, still 79 in arrears, and the 16 wickets that fell told its own story about conditions and nerves on both sides.
Key moment, deafening response
“There was a point where I couldn’t really hear [the crowd],” Robinson said afterwards. “I was just on cloud nine, I suppose, and my legs were numb, and I was just trying to really calm myself down and focus on the moment.
“But I think after the second wicket, that’s probably the loudest I’ve ever heard on a cricket field. The crowd were amazing and it was just an unbelievably special day for me and for the team.
“I had a lot of nerves yesterday, a lot of nerves this morning, and to get out there and do that was pretty special. I still can’t really put it into words. I think it will sink in, hopefully later tonight, but it was just an incredible day of Test-match cricket, and an incredible feeling to be out there and do that too.”
Why it worked
Robinson’s lengths were full enough to threaten the stumps yet short enough to draw edges, a template Scott Boland used so effectively during the Ashes. The difference on Thursday was a deliberate shift to the wobble seam rather than orthodox swing.
“We saw [New Zealand] bowl first, and I was watching the TV in the changing-room quite closely,” he explained. “We saw that their swing balls weren’t really reacting off the pitch as quick as their wobble was.
“All of the batters came back and said it was nipping quite fast, even though some of the air-speed wasn’t as quick as maybe normal. I thought, as soon as I went out there, I would try and just wobble it, because you could see when people were on those tight wobbles, it was a little bit quicker off the surface.
“Me and Gus [Atkinson] spoke about swinging it back to [Tom] Latham just before he got him out, just because he started to leave straight away, as soon as he could see the line. Apart from that, it was mainly wobble.”
What changed since the Ashes
Robinson has not played Test cricket since January 2024. Back stress fractures, fitness concerns and a loss of rhythm left him, by his own admission, “nowhere near” the levels required for the cauldron of an Ashes tour. He spent last winter rebuilding at Sussex, shedding five kilograms, shortening his run-up, and bowling with a red Duke’s ball at Hove nets until darkness. “The hard work,” he noted, “was worthwhile.”
Ben Stokes hinted in the build-up that Robinson’s control might be vital on a surface expected to quicken under Friday sunshine. Privately, the management also viewed his lower release height as a useful contrast to Atkinson’s steep bounce. Thursday’s evidence supported both hunches.
Room for caution
Lord’s often flattens out, and England still need runs. The top order’s collapse – 67 for 5 before Joe Root’s defiant 45 – showed how fragile they remain when the ball seams. New Zealand, meanwhile, bat deep; Daryl Mitchell at No. 7 averages 46, and the visitors believe one solid partnership can turn the match.
Nevertheless, Robinson’s four for 12 has set a tone. Stuart Broad, on commentary duty, called it “textbook”. Anderson, watching from the home balcony, wore the smile of a man who recognises a kindred mind. The pair may yet share a new-ball spell again later this summer; for now, Robinson is simply relieved to be back.
Perspective from the dressing-room
Atkinson, who took 1 for 25, praised his senior partner’s precision: “It gives you confidence at the other end when the batter never quite knows which way it’s going.” Batting coach Marcus Trescothick added that Robinson’s spell “shifted belief back our way after a tough start”.
Next steps
Weather is set fair, so a long Friday looms. England’s immediate target is three wickets before the second new ball appears, ideally without conceding more than 70 runs. Should they secure a first-innings lead of 50 or more, Stokes can dictate terms. If not, the match resets.
Either way, Robinson’s comeback has already delivered a reminder that pace is only one part of the fast-bowling equation. Skill underpinned by hard graft still moves games – and, occasionally, entire series.
