Ollie Robinson's Remarkable Comeback: Four Wickets in England's Test Summer Opener

Ollie Robinson admitted that just a few months ago he “thought I was never playing for England again” after he produced an extraordinary comeback performance on the first day of the Test summer, a return that started with a three-wicket maiden and saw him finish with figures of four wickets for 10 runs in six overs.

The 32-year-old was dropped in 2024 amid doubts over his fitness and commitment, and while England were collapsing to defeat in the Ashes – a failure that precipitated his return – he was also in Australia, rediscovering his appetite for the game playing grade cricket for Sydney University.

Robinson said that “at Christmas time I thought I was never playing for England again”. “I was nowhere near ready to play or anywhere near where I am now as a person, as a cricketer,” he said of last winter. “It’s only been the last few months that I’ve got the enjoyment back for the game and knuckled down a bit more. I went to Australia and got the love of the game back. I’ve put in a lot of work over the last couple of months to get back to the bowler I want to be. I’m not the finished article by any means, but those [moments] definitely make it all worthwhile.”

After losing the toss England were bowled out for 140, but by the end of a rain-interrupted opening day they had seized the initiative by reducing New Zealand to 61 for six. Just two overs into their reply the tourists were two for three, with Robinson in the middle of a huddle of celebrating teammates and the Lord’s crowd singing his name.

“There was a point where I couldn’t really hear it,” he said. “I was just on cloud nine, I suppose. My legs were numb and I couldn’t hear anything and I was trying to calm myself down and focus on the moment, but I think after the second wicket that’s probably the loudest [noise] I’ve ever heard on a cricket field. Just an incredible day of Test match cricket, and an incredible feeling to be out there and do it for the team.”

Like Robinson, New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson was playing his first Test since February 2024, when he sustained a stress fracture of his back. The 31-year-old took five wickets on his return as England’s reboot started on the wrong foot. “It’s been a long journey to get to this point, and I guess the stars aligned today,” he said. “It was obviously helpful conditions for us nasty fasties. We were fortunate to have those conditions and just tried to build pressure as much as we could and tried to be relentless on that length.”

Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 31 – the second-highest individual total of the day after Harry Brook’s 56 – to help New Zealand recover to end the day trailing by 79. “I was in the ice bath and I was thinking, ‘Jeez, I’m going to have to get out of this thing pretty quick,’” Jamieson said of the early wickets. “There was a little bit of panic but GP sort of settled things a little bit and hopefully us bowlers can chip in tomorrow and we can find some sort of parity.”