Ollie Robinson gives Steve Smith pre-Ashes warning with seven-for

Ollie Robinson gives Sussex teammate Steve Smith a pre-Ashes warning as he takes seven for 59 in their County Championship clash against Worcestershire, while Jonny Bairstow marks his return to competitive cricket with a stunning one-handed grab

• Ollie Robinson put Sussex in control on day one of their clash vs Worcestershire
• The England seamer took seven for 59 as the hosts were bowled out for 264  
• Steve Smith watched the spell from second slip in his first game for Sussex

Steve Smith had the perfect view at New Road of the threat Ollie Robinson will provide to Australia’s hopes of retaining the Ashes.

Smith, on the first day of his brief stint as a Sussex overseas player, stood at second slip throughout as Robinson produced an outstanding display of seam bowling to finish with seven for 59 off 17 probing overs in Worcestershire’s 264 all out.

Robinson, in just his second appearance of the season, was a class above any other bowler on view and gave his new team-mate Smith a glimpse of what to expect when they lock horns at Edgbaston on June 16.

And the Ashes rivals joined forces to claim Worcestershire’s ninth wicket, Smith holding on to a sharp chance to give Robinson his sixth victim and end Joe Leach’s belligerent contribution of a run-a-ball 53.

Robinson, who has had a cortizone injection in his back ahead of what is expected to be a run of three consecutive matches for Sussex, was quickly in the groove after Cheteshwar Pujara had won the toss and, on a sunny morning, decided to bowl.

Ollie Robinson gave his Sussex teammate Steve Smith a pre-Ashes warning on Thursday as he took seven for 59 against Worcestershire

He bowled opener Jake Libby (pictured) as the hosts were dismissed for 264

That may have delayed Smith’s first innings in Division Two until today but the New Road crowd were instead treated to the sight of Robinson rapidly taking the first four wickets to fall as Worcestershire crashed to a 44 for five.

Sussex were held up initially by 59 from Adam Hose and then a Bazball-like eighth wicket stand of 103 in 14 overs between Leach and Matthew Waite, whose 59 came off 54 balls, before Robinson returned to clean up the tail. 

Sussex replied with 63 for one before bad light stopped play.

‘I was probably at about 80 per cent,’ said Robinson afterwards. ‘I didn’t get it quite right early on but the wicket was quite helpful and when I did get it right they nicked it. I’m just trying to bowl as many overs as possible and peak for the Ashes.’

Robinson said after the spell he had been at ’80 per cent and admitted he was trying to bowl ‘as many overs as possible’ before the Ashes

Steve Smith was made to wait for his first Sussex knock as they finished the day 63 for one

Jonny Bairstow marked his first competitive appearance in eight months with a stunning one-handed grab amongst three catches for Yorkshire at Headingley.

Bairstow displayed great agility behind the stumps, moving to his left to dismiss Glamorgan’s Kiran Carlson after medium-pacer George Hill induced an inside edge midway through the afternoon session.

The 33-year-old, attempting to prove his fitness for England’s Test matches against Ireland and Australia next month, thought he’d celebrated a return from a horrific leg break with a dismissal first ball when David Lloyd offered a leg-side waft at Ben Coad. 

He did not have long to wait, however: Lloyd chasing one that left him two balls later.

Yorkshire also believed Australian Test batter Marnus Labuschagne had nicked the 70th delivery he faced through to Bairstow, off another Aussie Mickey Edwards, but umpire Ian Blackwell was not persuaded by the home side’s confident appeals. 

Labuschagne, on 10 at the time, finally fell for 65 off 166 balls, to the Hill-Bairstow combination. Bairstow was forced to bat because of a Yorkshire collapse and faced seven balls to remain unbeaten as they closed on 62-5.

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