Blow to England's Ashes campaign as seamer Olly Stone pulls up hamstring during County stint

England Cricket team’s Ashes campaign has suffered another blow as seamer Olly Stone has pulled a hamstring during Nottinghamshire’s home County game against Lancashire on Saturday. Looked upon as one of the main pacers by ECB’s managing director Robert Keyfor next month’s home Ashes, Olly had undergone scans, the reports of which will come out after the end of the game.

As per a report in the Guardian, Olly was walking with crutches inside the dressing room, and while the exact extent of his injury is unknown, he doesn’t look likely to be 100 per centin about a month's time. Considering Ashes is a five-match series, and England Test captain Ben Stokes' request for eight fit seamers at his disposal during that period, an untimely injury to Stone could prove costly for the hosts.

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While England have seam bowlers in veteran James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson, Stokes is believed to be pushing for those who can bowl at 90 mph – someone like Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

Stone, a pacer with massive promise, has had an unfortunate extensive run of injuries during his 10-year-old County career that saw him play only 45 matches. Olly has had four stress fractures, with the last one leading to an operation in which two metal screws were inserted in his spine.

The 29-year-old enjoyed limited outings in the ODI jersey and travelled with the Test team in New Zealand, though he didn’t get a game there. Ahead of the start of English summer, Stone said, “It’s been encouraging with how much cricket I’ve had this winter and come through it. I’m feeling fit and strong and just raring to get stuck in now."

‘I’ve looked at things in the past, injuries got in the way, and I’ve been quite disappointed so I try not to look too far ahead. But everyone knows how big a summer it is, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on the radar,” the seamer added, as quoted in the Guardian.

Here is the Ashes schedule -

• First Test (Edgbaston) - June 16 - June 20
• Second Test (Lord's) - June 28 - July 2
• Third Test (Clean Slate Headingley) - July 6 - July 10
• Fourth Test (Emirates Old Trafford) - July 19 - July 23
• Fifth Test (The Kia Oval) - July 27 - July 31