One is 27 years old (soon to be 28) and stands at 1.96m, the other has recently turned 28 years old and stands at 1.96m.
Both have played less than 10 tests to date, have 300+ first class wickets each, and have an identical first-class economy rate of 2.94 runs per over.
They both have a first-class century to their name, and are in the current England test squad, they are; Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson.
The former made his test debut in 2017 and has played 3 home tests against 4 away tests. He has been the beneficiary of several ECB pace bowling contacts/coaching camps as they sought for him to add an extra yard of pace.
The latter made his debut in 2021 and has 5 home tests and 4 away tests. Both played their first away test cricket in Australia in series that saw their team suffer heavy defeats.
Few would argue that Overton and Robinson are not amongst the best seam bowlers in domestic cricket over the last 3 or 4 years. Both have ‘earned’ the right to play for England through their first-class records, yet curiously both appear to lack the stamina to bowl above 80 miles per hour in their second or third spells of test cricket.
I find this interesting, in part as I think it is a reflection of the ball and pitches in first class cricket. They will often only need to bowl one good spell at 80mph to rip the heart out of a county side. Thus they are not conditioned mentally or physically to do so. (It also should be a serious feather in the cap of Anderson and Broad that they can still come back for second and third spells).
There is not an enormous amount to choose between their first-class records, their pace and stamina, height, age or experience. Therefore, the typical English approach is to ask ‘what else do they bring to the party’ (Thankfully Walsh, McGrath, Murali were not viewed this way) and this is where Overton appears to stand apart.
Both have a first-class century, but Robinson backed away tamely when confronted with fast bowling in Australia whilst 4 years prior Overton dutifully got inline and battled hard.
Overton has some experience in the catching cordon and appears to move well in the field. Robinson was criticised by many pundits for looking overweight, unfit, lacking conditioning and in the case of Jonathan Agnew for looking some way short of the required fielding standard for test cricket.
In general, I think these observations are broadly true, but who is the better bowler? Nasser Hussain was famously asked of Graham Thorpe ‘what else does he bring to the party’ and responded by saying so long as he brings runs, I don’t care.
The facts are that neither of these lads are fast bowlers, but that’s not the end of the world. Look at Philander as an example, a wonderfully skilled bowler even on flat pitches but rarely bowled above 80mph.
Overton does tick all the hypothetical boxes, but I ask you, who do you think is more likely to get you a test wicket?
Robinson looks the better bowler. This applies to the respective strike rates and 5/10 wicket halls in first class cricket and whilst the sample size is very small this extends to their very short test careers.
Overton of course can improve further, and I’d suggest is very much part of the wider thinking in this test team, but he has had a lot of time and investment both before and since his 2017 test debut.
Robinson does at times look cumbersome, but so did Gus Fraser. This is a comparison that I have heard a few Australians make during the Ashes. He will, one hopes, get fitter as he spends more time in the international environment and of course bowling overs too.
I’m not convinced he will ever bowl much above 80mph, but if he can extract movement as he has to date then there is no need to do so. England now have the option of a wicket keeper good enough to stand up to him too which creates a different type of pressure and modes of dismissal.
Often, we are quick to criticise out sports people, Ollie Robinson has made a great start to his test career, long may it continue.