Standing 191cm (6’ 3½”) tall and possessing the ability to bowl at in excess of 90mph, there are plenty of cricketing facts and figures that make the arrival of Olly Stone at Trent Bridge exciting.
Stone’s height and speed have aided him in developing into one of the most fearsome bowlers up and down the country, and he has, in the decade since making his First-Class bow, produced some memorable numbers.
8-80 – Stone rocks Sussex
The express pace which Stone possesses is a commodity valued above many others in cricket for its repeated ability to deeply unsettle a batting line-up.
Seldom has that proven more clearly than on an April day in 2018 at Edgbaston when Warwickshire faced Sussex in the County Championship. Stone tore through the Martlets’ line-up, taking all but two of the ten wickets to fall and, at one point, was one dismissal away from a hat-trick.
England’s number 692
Making your Test bow for England is honourable enough, but to be presented with your maiden cap on the outfield at Lord’s makes it all the more special. Stone was able to achieve that memorable moment when he officially became the 692nd man to represent the Three Lions in Test cricket in July 2019.
He followed Jason Roy and immediately preceded Jofra Archer in that particular list, taking three wickets against Ireland on his debut as England won by 143 runs. He has since gone on to play two further Tests for his country, taking a further seven scalps at an impressive average of 19.40.
Lightning struck by Stone’s 4-21
Along with his fearsome raw pace, Stone’s value is also found in his ability to translate his game across formats, and the fact that his career-best figures in T20 came fewer than three weeks ago shows the trajectory of his ever-developing game.
Visiting Lancashire in the final group stage game of this year’s Vitality Blast, Stone ripped the heart out of Lancashire’s top order by removing Phil Salt, Keaton Jennings, and Steven Croft to leave them 89/4. He then returned to trap Luke Wood lbw and confirm his new career-best T20 figures.
Two T20 titles, two promotions, and one County Championship
‘Glittering’ is an oft-overused word to describe a sporting career, but when it comes to Stone, there really is no more suitable description. He is still only 28 years old, but has already lifted three trophies across two formats of the game, and has experienced the rush of being promoted from Division Two of the Championship twice.
His first taste of silverware came when he helped Northamptonshire taste T20 glory in 2013, before being part of their promotion push in the same year.
He then played his part in seeing the Steelbacks win the shortest-format trophy again in 2016 – just 12 months before Notts Outlaws would win that trophy themselves for the first time – and then earned a promotion with new side Warwickshire in 2018 before becoming a County Championship winner last summer.
******
The Royal London Cup Final
The timeless pomp, ceremony and tradition of county cricket's historic 50-over final. 18 First-Class counties go head-to-head in this prestigious competition, aiming to emerge with the spoils at our historic venue. Secure your seats here...