England Test hopeful Ollie Robinson has hit a blistering century on day one of the County Championship Division 1 match between Durham and Essex in Chelmsford.
Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson, a Test prospect, scored a blazing 146 not out to take his side to 445-4 after the opening day of play. Opener Alex Lees also contributed with 113. The tempo of Robinson’s innings, which spanned 164 deliveries was in stark contrast to Lees, who faced 220 balls.
Robinson drove Matt Critchley through the covers for a single off the fifth ball of the 78th over to complete his century off just 116 balls. He was in no mood to show mercy to the bowlers as he struck 16 fours and four sixes during his sublime knock.
ONE HUNDRED for Ollie Robinson!!
— Durham Cricket (@DurhamCricket) June 23, 2024
His second of this campaign & in just 116 balls!! 🙌#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/3H6MIcE43e
With England scheduled to play six Test matches this summer, three each against West Indies and Sri Lanka, starting in July, Robinson is one of the frontrunners to be England’s wicketkeeper. He scored 931 runs at an average of 58 in 2023, but to prove his credentials for a Test spot, he probably required a few big scores in his strides for Durham, who were promoted to Division 1.
With 688 runs in almost seven games at an average of 98.2 and a strike-rate of 85, Robinson is in line for a maiden Test call-up. His decent stint for the England Lions last winter also added to his CV. This was his second century this season. Earlier, he struck an unbeaten 206-ball 171 which almost saw Durham gun down 475 in the fourth innings against Lancashire, only to fall short by 60 runs. He also has five fifties to his name this season so far.
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