COVERED 2024 Winter

15 @TRENTBRIDGE “After four or five days of graft, sitting there with a beer and thinking ‘jeez, that was good’, it is just great. “I think it’s partly because you spend so much time with your teammates, and you see what people put in to win a game so you share that success with each other.” There is a certain level of irony – if not merely coincidence – that, in a sport where each other’s successes are shared and celebrated so graciously, Stone’s reintegration with international cricket has come at the expense of a Notts teammate. Both he and Dillon Pennington were in the running for Test selection ahead of England’s series against theWest Indies at the start of the recent summer, with the latter ultimately selected in the 14- man squad. The 25-year-old – touted to make his debut at some point during the summer by Ben Stokes – then suffered a ham- string injury playing inThe Hundred, leading to Stone’s selection to face Sri Lanka. Stone, with the benefit of nearly 200 matches across formats under his belt, is able to sympathise. “I’ve spoken to Dill a little bit, we’ve caught up for coffee, mainly because it is a very similar injury to what I had last year,” he says. “It is gutting for him. He was in that England environment and it got taken away through no fault of his own. I know how it feels – I have been in squads then had to miss out, and other people get their chance and take it. “But when he is back bowling, he will end up back where he wants to be. There are probably things he has learnt from it about what he might do differently in the same situation. “I guess as someone that has been around the game longer, they’re the things I have knowledge on and people naturally gravitate to you because of that. “I have been fortunate to play around the world in different competitions and for different teams, so maybe I’ve soaked up a few things. “But it is nice to feel like people can talk to you and want your help. I’ve been through the highs and lows and you learn from that, which allows you to offer advice.” Once he does get going, Stone is blessed with a competitive streak seemingly typical of fast bowlers. In truth, it is an aggression and hostility at odds with his off-pitch personable and approachable demeanour – and he is able to laugh, looking back, at the hot water he’s found himself in as a product of his tirades. “To be honest, there are certain things which just flick the switch and off I go,” he smiles. “I don’t head into a game thinking ‘right, you’re having it’, something just happens in the moment and it sets me off. It is amazing how when one person goes, other people join in and have a bit of it too. “Before you know it, there are three or four of you going hard – and that doesn’t mean you are swearing or being unpleasant, it is just creating an atmosphere. People don’t enjoy playing against that. “When I signed for Notts, I played against them forWarwickshire twos at Lady Bay that week. I obviously knew I had signed for them, but I was still going hard at the lads. I couldn’t stop myself – the white line fever took over. “I think I was having a go at Kingy [Sammy King], and maybe someone else. Afterwards, I just thought ‘in a couple of days it is going to come out that I have signed for them…they are going to think I am a proper idiot’. “But if you took that away, I wouldn’t be the cricketer I am.Whether I’m playing club cricket or international cricket, I will do the same - it is just the way I play.” This self-awareness harks back to what is so apparent about Stone. His own understanding of who he is as a cricketer is critical. From knowing what he needs to do to prepare: “Before a four day game, on the first day, I won’t bowl until the toss goes up. If we bat first, I don’t want to waste overs.” To how to maximise his impact: “There “I WON’T LOOK TOO FAR AHEAD BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE IN THAT HEADSPACE WHERE IF I DON’T GET PICKED I AM DEVASTATED. BEFORE I KNOW IT, IT WILL BE MARCH AGAIN AND I WILL BE BACK STEAMING IN AT TRENT BRIDGE.” Olly Stone OLLY STONE