Chris Jordan: "Ollie Robinson is 100 percent a potential England cricketer"

Robinson could play his first representative cricket after being named in England Lions’ 14-man squad to face Australia A at Canterbury, starting on Sunday

Sussex are learning to adapt to life without Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan believes it might not be long before another of his team-mates is on England’s radar.

Ollie Robinson could play his first representative cricket after being named in England Lions’ 14-man squad to face Australia A at Canterbury, starting on Sunday.

Robinson is only one of two players from the second division – alongside Gloucestershire batsman James Bracey – and his selection is reward for some outstanding performances since the start of last season.

During that time he has taken 114 Championship wickets, including 40 this season. In 50 first-class matches since making his Sussex debut in 2015 he has 205 wickets at 22.71. Ten of them came in Sussex’s last match against Northamptonshire.

From his regular position at first slip, Jordan has monitored Robinson’s steady rise and believes he has qualities that mark him out as an international of the future.

“Ollie Robinson is 100 per cent a potential England cricketer,” said Jordan. “He put a yard of pace on over the winter and although it took him a few games to get up to top whack he’s on that arc.

“Ollie has a real will to win, which is something you can’t teach, and at international level it’s something you need, the ability to keep coming and finding a way, the desire to keep wanting the ball in tough situations and have that drive to make things happen.

“When he crosses the line he is in the battle and you know he will give you 100 per cent. You don’t take the number of wickets he has in the last couple of years without a high level of skill.”

^{Ollie Robinson has been in terrific form for Sussex}

Robinson’s absence from Sussex’s team for this weekend’s Championship game at Old Trafford is a blow to a side who dropped out of the promotion places following successive home defeats.

Mir Hamza will return, after missing four games with back trouble. It is the Pakistan left-armer’s last scheduled appearance during his stint at Hove.

Jordan and co will then turn their attentions to the Vitality Blast and their South Group opener against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl next Friday. They play the same opponents on July 24 in their first game at Hove.

With Reece Topley added to their bowling ranks, Sussex should be able to overcome Archer’s likely absence as they look to at least repeat last year’s performance when they lost to Worcestershire in the final.

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and Australian wicketkeeper-batsmen Alex Carey look as good as any pair of overseas players.

“Last year we weren’t a million miles off winning the tournament, maybe we just ran out of steam a bit,” said Jordan.

“But we have the players to do well again this season, definitely. And the message from the coach (Jason Gillespie) is the same: one game at a time, deal what is in front of you. In T20 when you can be high one minute and down the next, he calms us all down and keep us focussed.”

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

For more outstanding county coverage, try The Cricketer for three issues free this summer. Click here to sign up today