England fast bowler Ollie Robinson rewrote the record books on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday, becoming the first England bowler to claim three wickets in the very first over of an innings. His explosive spell left New Zealand in a difficult position at 61/6, as the match swung quickly after the ball was returned to the seamers.
Robinson, back in Test cricket for the first time since February 2024, finished the day with figures of 4/10 from six overs. New Zealand ended the day still trailing England’s first-innings total of 140, with conditions consistently favouring pace rather than spin.
No spin bowlers were used during the day, underlining how much the surface and early movement dictated proceedings. Earlier, England’s batting had been knocked over for 140 in 39.4 overs, but Robinson struck immediately after the new ball to shift the momentum.
Quick facts
- Ollie Robinson became the first England bowler to take three wickets in the opening over of an innings.
- It happened during the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday as New Zealand were reduced to 61/6.
- Robinson returned Test figures of 4/10 from six overs on day one.
- New Zealand closed the day trailing England’s first-innings total of 140.
- Robinson took wickets with the third, fifth and sixth deliveries of his spell.
With the third, fifth and sixth balls of his over, Robinson dismissed Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra. Conway was pinned lbw, Williamson was caught on the short leg boundary, and Ravindra was also removed lbw as England’s pace attack pressed hard from the start.
Speaking after the spell, Robinson described the moment as surreal. “Feels a bit surreal, I couldn’t have dreamt being back,” he said, adding that the atmosphere was intense and that he was in a daze before settling into focus. He also praised the crowd, saying it was among the loudest he has heard at Lord’s.
How Robinson’s return was built
The performance capped a dramatic comeback for the Sussex captain. Around Christmas, Robinson felt his England career might be finished, having been left out in 2024 due to concerns about fitness and attitude despite taking 76 wickets in 20 Tests.
After England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, head coach Brendon McCullum reached out to Robinson at the start of the season and informed him he was back in contention. Robinson backed that vote of confidence by taking 18 wickets in the ongoing County Championship, earning his opportunity for the opening Test.
With Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse unavailable, Robinson was given the new ball and made an instant impact. “I was in a place where I never thought I’d play for England again,” he said, explaining that a message from McCullum changed his mindset and refocused his preparation around getting match-ready for the first day.
By stumps, he had bowled six overs, including three maidens, and helped put England in control. The three-wicket opening-over feat also placed him among a small group of bowlers in Test history who have managed the same outcome in their first over of an innings.
Before Robinson, only six players had reached that milestone, and no England bowler had previously done it. The first to achieve the feat was former Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Zoysa, who took three wickets in the opening over against Zimbabwe in Harare in 1999.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan matched the mark in 2006 against Pakistan in Karachi, removing Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in the opening over. Other names who have taken three wickets in the first over of a Test innings include Daniel Vettori, Haris Sohail, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
