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ToggleThe England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced their playing eleven for the second of the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in London after registering a fine victory by seven wickets in the last week at Manchester. Their premier pacer, Mark Wood, who has been ruled out from the rest of the series, is the only miss in the team.
The Durham pacer, who looked in a great rhythm and shape from the start of the summer, hitting the pace barrier of 156-kmph against West Indies last month, injured his thigh at Old Trafford and now fights to recover along with England’s red-ball captain, Ben Stokes, before their late-autumn trip to Pakistan.
The Ollie Pope-led side did a fantastic job in the first game, as their new sensational wicket-keeper batter, Jamie Smith, celebrated his maiden century of the longest format, while the evergreen batter, Joe Root, stood in and showed his authority with the bat in the second innings with an unbeaten knock.
Olly Stone replaces Mark Wood in the England side for the second Test
Another expressive fast bowler of the side, Olly Stone, has returned to the England side after playing his last red-ball game for the national side three years ago against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The 30-year-old has picked up ten wickets in five innings of the format at an average of under 20 and a strike rate of 35.8, with a best figure of 3/29.
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He has played 28 games across formats this summer for Nottinghamshire and London Spirit, the second most appearances he has made in a single season. The Norwich-born was asked if he would be looking to bowl with the same intensity as Wood at Lord’s.
“It’s been pretty frightening, the way he’s come in and bowled this summer is very exciting.” Olly Stone expressed at the pre-match press conference. “Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He’s 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.”
The pacer made his England Test debut at Lord’s in 2019 against Ireland, after which the back surgery in 2021, having two screws inserted, kept him out of the game for a long time.
“It’s the best thing I ever went in for. 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.” The fast bowler revealed.
Olly Stone regards this week as his ‘second debut’ and desires to start a new and injury-free career as England looks to prepare him for the upcoming Ashes trip to Australia towards the end of the next year.
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“Although I’ve had these injuries, I feel as good as ever and ready to keep going for a few more years. It’s been a long time and a special place to play, regardless of the situation. So to come back and play, I just want to go out there and enjoy it, play with a smile on my face, and hopefully the wickets will come.” The pacer remarked in what’s going to be only his 53rd first-class appearance, having debuted 12 years ago.
England’s playing XI for the second Test vs Sri Lanka
Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir.