Robinson and Tongue Share Historic Test Match Ball After Five-Wicket Hauls

England fast bowlers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue created an unusual piece of cricket memorabilia after both claimed five-wicket hauls in the first innings of the Leeds Test against Pakistan.

After bowling Pakistan out for 171 on the opening day, the pair walked off the field holding the match ball together. Rather than arguing over who should keep it, they came up with a unique solution — having the ball cut cleanly in half so they could each take home a piece.

England's management handed the ball to the Headingley groundstaff, who split it down the middle.

“We were walking off and I was like, to Tonguey, I think we should split it,” Robinson said. “It's not very often two guys get five-for in the same innings, so a nice gesture and something to remember.”

Tongue, speaking to BBC Test Match Special, confirmed that Robinson had suggested the idea.

“Robbo said we can split the ball in half. The groundstaff have kindly done that. It's the first time I've seen that happen. I'm sure I'll be putting that up somewhere,” Tongue said.

The achievement was significant for England. It was only the 16th time in men's Test cricket that two England bowlers had taken five wickets each in the same innings, and the first such occasion since 2006, when Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar achieved the feat against Pakistan at Old Trafford.

Robinson made an immediate impact on his return to the England side, taking a wicket with the very first delivery of the Test. He became the first England bowler in almost 20 years to achieve the feat on home soil and went on to dismiss four of Pakistan's top five batsmen.

Tongue then took over, running through Pakistan's lower order and helping England dismiss the visitors for just 171.

The performance was particularly special for Robinson, who returned to the side after missing two Tests against New Zealand. The 32-year-old had also welcomed his second daughter, Eva, just days before the match.

“Newborn arrived last Thursday at 2am, so I've been catching up on my sleep since I got to the hotel in Leeds,” Robinson said. “Really special week, having another baby, it almost makes today even sweeter.”

Robinson has endured a difficult period with injuries and selection setbacks but said he has worked closely with England's medical team to improve his fitness and consistency.

“It was frustrating not to be able to play at The Oval, just a freak training injury,” he said. “Then I was available at Trent Bridge but not selected and that's part of professional sport.”

The fast bowler added that he had made significant progress with his fitness over the previous five to six weeks.

“It's nice when it comes off like today. It's about being really consistent and really level, not having too many ups and downs,” he said.

Robinson also admitted that he was still searching for his best rhythm after limited red-ball cricket, but insisted that staying fit and regularly playing would be key to maintaining his form.

“For me, the more I play, the better I tend to get. As long as I can stay on the park and stay fit, hopefully I can get that rhythm and stay good,” he said.

After his five-wicket haul helped put England firmly in control, Robinson made clear that his priority was to remain available for selection and contribute consistently to the team.

“You never want to miss games, you always want to play for England, you always want to influence games and series,” he said. “I'm going to try and not let that happen again.”

The historic shared match ball will now serve as a reminder of a memorable day for both bowlers — and one of the rare occasions in Test cricket when two teammates decided that the best way to share the spoils was quite literally to split them in two.