Robinson backs aggressive policy
OLLIE ROBINSON and Ol l i e Po p e lifted England into a useful position in the third Test after an extraordinary, wicket- laden third day laced with poignancy at t he Kia Oval.
After stirring tributes before play to commemorate the Queen, Robinson exploited just enough movement to scoop a Test-best five for 49 and with Stuart Broad chipping in with four for 41, South Africa were all out for a meagre 118 in just 36.2 overs.
Wickets also tumbled in England’s response as they pushed the accelerator, although Pope’s sparky 67 from 77 balls, including 13 fours, ushered the hosts to 154 for seven before bad light ended the day early.
Marco Jansen top scored in South Africa’s innings with 30 – one of only two touring players to reach 20 – before his four for 34 pegged England back, and with the Proteas trailing by just 36, they remain firmly in the hunt.
Robinson admitted there was a little trepidation in the England camp about singing the new national anthem – as some players were wary of getting the wording wrong.
A hush descended as the players came on to the field via a military guard of honour and a minute’s silence was broken only by a one-bell chime from the highest ranking military official in attendance. Both teams’ national anthems were sung by soprano Laura Wright, with the crowd joining in a moving rendition of God Save the King before a spontaneous and prolonged burst of applause.
“We had to remind ourselves of what we were actually going to sing. There was a few nervy characters walking down the steps,” Robinson said. “It was really special to be able to sing it at this sport event and it was a really special morning and honour to be a part of.
“To share our respects in the way we did was a huge honour for us and the silence that we experienced walking down those steps is something none of us have ever experienced.”
The seamer insisted he did not feel under any extra duress given the events of the morning, with England captain Ben Stokes saying before play “the show must go on”.
“The message was pretty clear from Ben: just go out there, be positive and try and force a result, play brave cricket and I think we did that here,” Robinson said.
This LV= Insurance series decider has been reduced to a three-day affair following Thursday’s washout and Friday being called off as a mark of respect to the Queen, with South Africa refusing to budge from their original itinerary of returning home on Tuesday, nixing any possibility of an extension.
But a win for either side
– with the series level at 1-1 – seems more likely than it did at the start of the day, with 17 wickets falling all to fast bowlers over a helter-skelter few hours.
Robinson insisted the aggressive approach they adopted and have pursued under Stokes this summer was the correct one.
“You saw when the South Africans batted, if you sat there and let Test match bowlers bowl six or 12 balls at you in a row, you were going to get out,” he said.
“The type of cricket we want to play is brave cricket and be positive. We want to force a result in this game and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
While Robinson was celebrating his third fivewicket haul in 11 Tests, with his England bowling average now below 20, the Sussex seamer confessed he was not as fluent as he usually is.
“I actually didn’t feel that great,” he added. “My run-up was all over the place, couldn’t find a rhythm, I was just trying to focus on smashing out the length, really. It’s not the best I’ve felt.”
We want to force a result in this game and that’s what we’re trying to do