New doubts over Robinson as he retires after one over

Ollie Robinson, the England fast bowler, suffered a fresh setback yesterday when a stomach bug restricted him to just one over for Sussex in their County Championship

Division Two match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Robinson bowled the first over of the game – a maiden – but was unable to deliver any more in Leicestershire’s innings as the hosts were bowled out for 210.

The Sussex seamer has been dogged by a series of problems in recent months. He pulled up as unfit to bowl during England’s final Ashes Test, in Hobart, and England bowling coach Jon Lewis publicly questioned his professionalism. Robinson then missed all three of England’s Tests in the West Indies after suffering a back spasm, before also missing the opening month of the championship season.

In his first innings of the season last week, Robinson took five wickets for 66 runs for Sussex against Middlesex at Hove, illustrating why he remains so highly regarded as a bowler. But, aged 28, concerns are growing over his long-term fitness.

Meanwhile, Haseeb Hameed scored 112, his first hundred in firstclass cricket since his nightmare tour of Australia, after Nottinghamshire had been sent in by Middlesex in Division Two’s top-of-the-table contest.

Hameed, who came to find the unrelenting bounce and accuracy of Australia’s pace bowlers outside his off stump too much in the Ashes, was rewarded for his orthodox stance and patience yesterday by having his share of fortune early on, especially against the former England seamer Toby Roland-jones.

Hameed’s old skill at leaving the ball helped him battle through to 97 by tea, whereupon he whipped the first ball afterwards – a rare legstump half-volley by Tim Murtagh – to the boundary and his first step to redemption or, at least, an England recall. Hameed shared a stand of 117 with Steve Mullaney, who went on to 92 not out before bad light stopped play at Lord’s.