Ollie Robinson starred on his England Test return as New Zealand collapsed to 61-6 in reply to the hosts’ 140 all out on a dramatic opening day at Lord’s.
The seamer finished with outstanding figures of 4-10, removing Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra in the space of four balls in his first over.
Robinson had been sidelined from the national team since early 2024 due to fitness concerns but was recalled following England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat.
On a day disrupted by rain and bad light, Harry Brook (56 off 71 balls) was the standout contribution in England’s first innings, with Kyle Jamieson (5-62) leading the charge for the Black Caps.
Robinson admits ‘surreal’ feeling
“I can’t really put this into words right now – it feels a bit surreal,” Robinson told Sky Sports after his thrilling comeback effort.
“I couldn’t have dreamt it, to be honest. It’s been an amazing couple of hours, and it’s just so good to be back.
“There were obviously doubts. I thought at Christmas time, I was never playing for England again.
“To get back in and get the support of everyone, it’s been amazing. So special.”
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Bowlers dominate at Lord’s
Asked to give his thoughts on how day one unfolded, Robinson added: “Pretty remarkable, really!
“When we looked at the pitch [in the morning], it looked like it was going to play a lot better than it did.
“They obviously bowled really well against us, and we sort of knew that we had to follow suit.
“To get six down there at the end, it was a great effort from everyone.”
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Sensational day of cricket
Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, former England captain Michael Atherton reflected on a sensational day of cricket.
“In 150 tests, Lord’s has seen many remarkable moments, but I think that triple-wicket maiden for Ollie Robinson on his comeback is going to be remembered in years to come as one of them,” he said.
“The conditions have been absolutely perfect for a bowler of his type, and there have been some very good bowlers on show today.
“Ollie Robinson with a new ball for England. I thought Will O’Rourke, although Kyle Jamieson took five wickets for New Zealand, I thought O’Rourke especially took the eye.
“I know Matt Henry had back spasms, but you look at that four-pronged New Zealand attack – it’s a very strong attack.”
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Simon Wilkes