Olly Stone reveals the key that could make him an England Test regular
The quick tells Richard Edwards he is brimming with confidence after making his ODI debut in Sri Lanka
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Your support makes all the difference.It may have been a tour dominated by spin, but one pace contribution suggested that Olly Stone could yet be on a fast-track to the top.
Stone’s debut in Dambulla in October ended in a damp one-day win for the tourists.
But the plaudits rained down on him as incessantly as the precipitation that brought an abrupt end to proceedings.He took a single wicket in six overs brimming with aggressive intent – and offered a glimpse of the fire that could yet see him force his way into England’s attack for this summer’s Ashes.
It’s a measure of England’s strength in one-day cricket that Stone is not in the 16 for the ODI leg of the series in the Caribbean.
His selection for the three Test series, which begins in Barbados on 23 Janaury, does, though, hint that the England selectors, as well as captain, Joe Root, believe there’s plenty more to come.
And his pace could provide a welcome window into a past when speed was king in this part of the world.
“Given how well the spinners bowled and how the wickets were out there (in Sri Lanka), it might have been a blessing that I didn’t play,” says Stone.
“It would have been great to make my Test debut but it was great to be able to make my debut in the ODIs and play as much cricket as I did.
“I learnt a lot off the field, in the nets around those Test matches as well. It was a great thing to be a part of.
“I was happy with how I started. I would have snapped someone’s hand off to start that well. It calmed the nerves a little bit.
“Am I bowling as quickly as I ever have done? I’m not sure, I just think I’m more consistent. I can keep producing those spells, not just having one or two that are quick – I can back it up now.
“Getting a run of games last season really built my confidence. I think I showed people what I can do and also showed that the injury hasn’t affected me. If anything, it has made me better.”
If Stone does make the step-up, then his injury in June 2016 could turn out to be a tale that enters English cricket folklore.
Then with Northants, Stone took the wicket of Moeen Ali and leapt in the air in celebration. He then landed awkwardly, suffering ACL damage that ruled him out of cricket for a year.
“Me and Mo had a few laughs and jokes about it on tour,” he says. “It does seem quite a long time ago. It’s a weird one and hopefully, fingers crossed, nothing happens like that again.
“It’s not that you don’t work hard to start with but when something like that happens, it does make you appreciate things that little bit more.
“Getting sidelined for 13 months wasn’t part of the plan but when I did come back it made me even more determined to make the most of it.
“You become a bit more grateful for what you have, rather than plodding along through the normal day-to-day stuff that you sometimes take for granted.”
There was a time when England would pack squads bound for the Caribbean with pace.
Often in a vain attempt to fight fire with fire.
West Indian pitches in the next two months are now more likely to suit Jack Leach, Moeen and Adil Rashid than Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Stone.
But that doesn’t stop Stone from respecting those West Indian pacemen who changed the direction of the sport itself from the mid-1970s onwards, with bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Patrick Patterson proving a source of enduring pride to cricket lovers across the Caribbean.
“I’ve seen little clips of those guys,” says the 25-year-old.
“It was maybe a little bit before my time but everyone knows about those guys.
"It’s a place I’ve been to with Northants a couple of times.
“Hopefully the pitches have a little bit more in them than the Sri Lankan ones did.
“There might be a bit more chance for us seamers. The pitches might not be too different but it will be an interesting headache for (Joe) Root and (Trevor) Bayliss.”
After his knee pain, Stone will hope that his one-day promise leads to something more long-term.
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