Olly Stone to miss first Ashes Test due to a hamstring injury

England fast bowler Olly Stone has been ruled out of the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes series, set to begin on June 16 at Edgbaston. The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Nottinghamshire's County Championship Division One match with Lancashire at Trent Bridge last weekend.

Despite his obvious discomfort, Stone walked out to the crease at Trent Bridge on Sunday as the last man. He admirably helped his side salvage a draw by playing out four legal deliveries.

On Thursday, May 11, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club released a statement, saying they are making all the efforts to help Olly Stone return to action as soon as possible.

"We, and England, will be working with Olly to get him returning to cricket in a timely manner without compromising his recovery ahead of a busy summer."

Stone will also miss the start of the Vitality Blast, with the T20 tournament beginning on May 20 with a clash between Derbyshire and Lancashire.

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Olly Stone last played a Test in June 2021

Olly Stone. (Image Credits: Getty)

Olly Stone last played a Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston in Birmingham in June 2021. In three Tests, Stone has bagged ten scalps at 19.40. However, he has promising first-class numbers, bagging 156 scalps in 77 matches with six fifers and a solitary 10-wicket haul.

He featured in four ODIs and a T20 last winter, but was an unused squad member during England's Test tour of New Zealand in February. The Norwich-born bowler was to be one of the England quicks for the Ashes alongside Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.

It's worth noting that the latter recently returned home from the Indian Premier League to deal with his ongoing elbow troubles.

Test captain Ben Stokes was also overlooked by the Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday (May 10) despite being fit. He has been sidelined for over five weeks now after fetching INR 16 crore in the auction.

Stokes came to the marquee T20 league with a longstanding left knee injury that flared during February's tour of New Zealand. The all-rounder also picked up a toe injury that has kept him out of action since April 3. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is closely monitoring his fitness.