Stone looks to get on roll after injury
IT WAS June 7, 2016 when Olly Stone leapt skyward to celebrate the dismissal of Moeen Ali for Northants at Wantage Road.
That brief moment of delight was soon replaced by a coruscating pain as Stone landed awkwardly and damaged his anterior cruciate ligaments.
Wind forward 13 months and Worcestershire were again his opponents, with Stone this time in the colours of Warwickshire rather than Northants .Given his previous misadventures it was perhaps to his advantage that he didn’t take a wicket on his return in Friday night’s T20 clash. Just getting back on the pitch was reward for a bowler who has had to endure almost 400 days of inactivity.
“I suppose I was pretty nervous before the match, definitely more than usual,” he says.
“It was great just to get out there again and play cricket again after over a year out. With it being a new club and everything, I think it all added up.
“To come back in a derby match against Worcestershire was a big one, too. I took an early catch and that settled everything down. It was just great to be back out there. After a while the sweaty palms dried out!”
It has been a long road back for Stone, with fears raised back in March that his Bears’ bow might have to wait until next season rather than this.
Stone himself admits that the past 13 months have been tough, but tells The Cricket Paper that the thought of returning to the game sustained him during plenty of long, lonely hours in the gym.
“I haven’t necessarily been worried about getting back on the pitch but there have been times when I’ve wondered if my knee would be able to cope,” he says.
“I suppose you always have that little bit of doubt in your mind.Was I a good patient? I suppose not but I have had my fair share of injuries in the past so I’ve had to cope with it before. I had a stress fracture when I was younger so it’s not like this was completely unknown to me.
“It will take a bit of time before I can consider myself fully fit. My body feels up to scratch at the moment and once I get a consistent run of games and a four-day game, I’ll know my body is up to it. It’s only after you’ve played a game over four days rather than two or three hours that I’ll have that confidence.
“That might be a bit of a rude awakening, it will be like having a proper job again instead of spending all my time in the gym!”
Warwickshire will be glad to have him back as they continue their battle against relegation.
Stone’s performances for Northants had already singled him out as a quick bowler of considerable promise.
His 72 wickets at a cost of 30 suggest that there’s plenty more to come from the 23-year-old. Just don’t expect too many extravagant celebrations when he adds to that tally.