In the New South Wales nets on Thursday, England’s Ollie Robinson bowled to his old Sussex teammate Steven Smith, making him an unexpected presence in Australia’s Ashes practice.
In seven Ashes Test matches, Robinson has claimed 21 wickets, although he hasn’t played for England since February 2024 as his body failed him in too many games. In the County Championship this year, he claimed 39 wickets for Sussex at a rate of 24.74, but he was passed over by the England Lions and never really looked like a contender for a Test recall.
Sydney Uni net bowler at Blues training today sending them down to Smith and Konstas 👀 https://t.co/81WYhtgwQf pic.twitter.com/03myDsFtJp
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) November 6, 2025
He has instead committed to play grade cricket for Sydney University, and on Thursday, he was spotted bowling at NSW batters at the SCG before their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria. He then had a lengthy conversation with NSW coach Greg Shipperd.
Robinson bowled for “about 45 minutes” to batsmen including Smith and Sam Konstas, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The initial members of England’s Ashes team practiced at Lilac Hill in Perth while Robinson was bowling in Sydney. They included Ben Stokes, England’s captain, who has not played competitively since incurring an injury to a shoulder muscle against India in July but is hopeful of playing a full role in the first Test at Optus Stadium on November 21.
In addition to being labeled “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer” in the West Australian, Stokes was greeted to Australia with a front-page story that said he had bowled during training on Thursday. Before traveling to Australia, Stokes made a brief stop in New Zealand to see relatives. He then practiced in the nets in Lincoln and Christchurch.
The remaining members of England’s 16-man team are expected to arrive in Perth this weekend, with about half of them already here. The three-day encounter against the England Lions, England’s only warm-up match, begins at Lilac Hill on Thursday.
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