Olly Stone put in yet another stand-out performance in the latest round of the County Championship, tearing through Hampshire in their final innings in a tight chase.
Hampshire, who are almost sure of relegation, looked close to what would have been a remarkable win over defending champions Nottinghamshire. Having bowled them out for 104 in the third innings of the game thanks to a five-for from exciting debutant quick Manny Lumsden, they needed just 178 to win.
However, their chase went pear-shaped quickly, and at the end of day three, they were 61-5. Stone had two wickets to his name going into the final day, but did the bulk of his work the following morning. Hampshire had managed just seven before he removed Ben Mayes and Eddie Jack in the same over, and sent Kyle Abbott back in his next. That gave Stone five-for – his fourth of the season – but a stoic partnership between Lumsden and Scott Currie halted Nottinghamshire's charge. Lumsden clung on valiently for 72 deliveries, scoring 21 runs, before he was caught brilliantly by sub fielder Ben Martindale to give Stone 6-28, incidentally his best figures of the season.
Stone has been Nottinghamshire's standout bowler in their title defence, having played nine games with an average of 19.70. In the four rounds of action Nottinghamshire have contested since the resumption of the Championship last month, Stone has taken 25 wickets, including three five-fors and a 10-wicket-haul.
Olly Stone last played for England in the 2024 summer
Nevertheless, he continues to be overlooked for England selection. Stone last played a Test match at the end of the 2024 summer, and hasn't been named in any England squads since. While Matt Fisher, Sam Cook, and Sonny Baker have been England's back-up pack in their series' against New Zealand and Pakistan, Stone has made a case for a recall.
He has had frequent injury problems which have stunted his Test career. After making his debut against Ireland in 2019, he missed that summer's Ashes with a back stress fracture, and suffered recurrences of that injury over the next two summers. He played one Test in India in 2021 and one of England's home Tests against New Zealand than summer until injury struck again.
He made a return to the Test side in 2024 against Sri Lanka, taking seven wickets in two Tests, but had to fly home when selected for their following series in Pakistan to get married, having organised his nuptials without expecting to be picked for that series. A knee injury struck in early 2025 required surgery, and ruled him out of the summer of Test cricket, rendering him unlikely to make the cut for the winter Ashes.
Now, however, his impressive Championship returns have put him in prime position for another comeback.
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