Ollie Robinson to play his first Test since January, replacing fellow seamer Matthew Potts in the England XI for second Test against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford – watch the game live on Sky Sports The Hundred from Thursday (10am on air, 11am first ball)
Last Updated: 24/08/22 11:35am
Ollie Robinson returns to the England side for the second Test against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford from Thursday
England have recalled Ollie Robinson in place of fellow seamer Matthew Potts for the second LV= Insurance Test against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford.
England are 1-0 down in the three-match series after losing the opening Test at Lord’s last week by an innings and 12 runs inside three days.
Robinson will now make his first Test appearance since the final Ashes fixture in Hobart in January having been hampered by injuries and illness since then.
Robinson for Potts is the only change to the England side from the hammering in London with Zak Crawley retaining his place despite averaging below 17 in 10 Test innings this summer with a top-score of 46.
Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson
Speaking at his press conference in Manchester on Wednesday, England captain Ben Stokes said of Robinson: “Ollie gets the most bounce out of our attack and we think generally at Old Trafford that with it being a slightly quicker wicket it offers bounce.”
Robinson, 28, missed the three Tests against West Indies in March with a back spasm and was then left out of the home series against New Zealand earlier this summer.
However, after overcoming his back issue and a bout of Covid-19, Robinson claimed nine wickets in Sussex’s County Championship fixture with Nottinghamshire in late July and then five wickets as England Lions beat South Africa in Canterbury earlier this month.
Matthew Potts is the man to drop out of the England XI in Manchester
Robinson has picked up 39 wickets in nine Tests to date, at an average of 21.28 and with best figures of 5-65 against India at Headingley last summer.
Durham seamer Potts has claimed 20 wickets in five Tests since debuting for England earlier this summer, with the 23-year-old bagging 2-79 from 20 overs in South Africa’s sole innings at Lord’s last week.
Stokes praised the manner in which Potts accepted being left out.
The skipper added: “It is tough for Matty [Potts] to miss out but what he has done in five games is taken himself from a county cricketer with a lot of promise and really announced himself on the big stage.
Ben Stokes on Potts: ‘The selection was based around what we thought was the best bowling attack to suit this ground and he completely understood that’
“You also have to give him a lot of credit to handle the decision so professionally at such a young age. I think that is a real indication of where we are at as a team at the moment.
“The selection was based around what we thought was the best bowling attack to suit this particular ground and he completely understood that.
“For a 23-year-old to completely understand the bigger picture of what we are trying to achieve and not throw his toys out of the pram was something that shouldn’t be overlooked.”
England vs S Africa
August 25, 2022, 10:00am
Live on 
England’s batters lasted a combined 82.4 overs at Lord’s, rolled for 165 in their first innings before crumpling to 149 all out in their second.
If South Africa win in Manchester, they will secure a first Test series victory over England, either home or away, since triumphing 2-0 in England in 2012 under the captaincy of Graeme Smith.
Watch day one of the second LV= Insurance Test between England and South Africa, from Emirates Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports The Hundred from Thursday. Build-up starts at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am.