Cricket

Olly Stone, the English fast bowler, will depart from England's tour of Pakistan on Wednesday to attend his wedding this weekend. His return date remains uncertain, making his availability for the second Test doubtful.Stone's departure was initially planned for after the first Test, but he has been granted an early release due to his wedding on Saturday. The 29-year-old has been a key member of England's Test squad since his return to the side in the summer, taking seven wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka.However, Brydon Carse was preferred as England's high-pace option for the first Test in Multan, which began on Monday. This has allowed Stone to return home earlier than expected.The date of Stone's return is unclear and will depend on the fitness of England's other fast bowlers after the first Test. With a tight turnaround between his wedding and the second Test on Tuesday, it is unlikely that he will be available for selection.Carse, Gus Atkinson, and Chris Woakes are the three seamers selected for the first Test, with Matthew Potts as the reserve fast bowler.England's management has expressed their support for Stone's decision to leave Pakistan, considering that he was not included in the latest batch of central contracts and that his wedding was planned before his recall.Stone had previously discussed his wedding plans with England's managing director, Rob Key, and coach, Brendon McCullum, who agreed to his request to attend his wedding."We booked the wedding on the basis of me only playing for Notts at the time," Stone told the BBC. "Jess said she was happy to move the wedding, but I was adamant on keeping it where it was if possible. For what she has given up and sacrificed for me, I thought the least I could do was to try and make it work."In the past, players have made significant sacrifices to prioritize their cricket careers. Tony Pigott postponed his wedding to play his only Test for England in 1984. More recently, contracted players have rescheduled weddings due to clashes. Joe Root, England's Test captain, revealed that he and his wife, Carrie, had rearranged their wedding three times due to tours.Root expressed his support for Stone's decision, saying, "It's a special time in anyone's life. I'm really excited for him. I'm sure he is all over the place with everything that's going on, but it'll be very special for him - and his wife - starting a different chapter in his life. We'll all be raising a cold water to him at some point, celebrating."

Olly Stone, the 30-year-old left-arm fast bowler, is set to make his fourth Test appearance for England at Lord's this week, replacing the injured Mark Wood. Stone has pledged to push his limits and match Wood's blistering speeds, who clocked 97mph/156kph against West Indies last month.Stone's career has been plagued by injuries, including a hamstring issue that sidelined him for most of last season. However, he has made a strong comeback this summer, featuring in 28 matches across formats for Nottinghamshire and London Spirit.In the absence of Wood, Stone will be tasked with providing England with short, sharp bursts of pace. "It's been pretty frightening… the way he's come in and bowled this summer is very exciting," Stone said of Wood. "Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He's obviously up there with the fastest in the world so I'm not sure if I'll match it - but I'll give it a good shot."Stone made his Test debut at Lord's in 2019, but underwent back surgery in 2021. He credits the procedure with his return to fitness and his unwavering determination to play Test cricket. "It's the best thing I ever went in for," he said. "Thankfully - touch wood - so far, I've had no recurrences with that… I'll keep coming back for Test cricket until my body tells me otherwise."Stone's selection is a testament to England's focus on attributes over averages. National selector Luke Wright explained that Sam Cook would have been called up if Chris Woakes had been injured, but Stone's height and left-arm angle gave him the edge over Cook.England's XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's:1. Ben Duckett2. Dan Lawrence3. Ollie Pope (capt)4. Joe Root5. Harry Brook6. Jamie Smith (wk)7. Chris Woakes8. Gus Atkinson9. Matthew Potts10. Olly Stone11. Shoaib Bashir

Nottinghamshire's resilience was on full display at Trent Bridge as they rallied from a precarious position to post a competitive 326 for 8 on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash against Somerset.Fast bowler Olly Stone, who has emerged as an unlikely batting force, led the charge with an unbeaten 74. His eighth-wicket partnership of 112 with Calvin Harrison (35) transformed the innings after Nottinghamshire had slumped to 190 for 7.Earlier, Joe Clarke (51) and Jack Haynes (55) had provided a solid foundation with a 108-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, Somerset's seamers, led by Kasey Aldridge (4-90), struck back to claim four wickets for 11 runs.Aldridge, returning to the Somerset side after an injury, made an immediate impact, dismissing Haseeb Hameed with an inswinger. He also accounted for Will Young and Tom Moores, while South African seamer Migael Pretorius took three for 73.Despite the setbacks, Stone and Harrison refused to be deterred. Stone, who had scored 90 against Lancashire last month, showcased his batting prowess once again. He struck eight fours and a six, guiding Nottinghamshire towards a respectable total.The Somerset attack, which had initially looked threatening, lost their way after lunch. Overton and Jake Ball offered width, allowing Clarke and Haynes to score freely. However, Aldridge's double strike and Pretorius' dismissal of Haynes swung the momentum back in Somerset's favor.Stone's resilience and Harrison's support ensured that Nottinghamshire ended the day on a positive note. They will resume on day two with a solid platform to build upon, while Somerset will need to find a way to break through the Stone-Harrison partnership.