Olly Stone discusses Bears injury return as he makes a Phoenix request

Olly Stone has endured all sorts of misfortune over the last two or three years. Indeed Warwickshire and Birmingham Bears have been denied the talents of a bowler who is very much on England’s radar.

The 28-year-old has suffered four infuriating stress fractures in the last five seasons and he has played just a fraction of the cricket he’d have liked to have managed in that time as a result. The last 11 months in particular have been as frustrating as ever.

Stone is finally back playing regularly again after working his way back to full fitness with the help of the Bears medical unit, but it is with understandable caution that he has been welcomed back into the fold. The last thing that the Bears, nor Stone himself, want is for another breakdown to occur.

The seamer has taken six wickets in the five T20 matches since his return and the his figures - which can sometimes be deceiving because of the pace with which he bowls - have largely been very respectable, too. Stone’s spell, in vain as Derby claimed a seven-wicket win at Edgbaston on Sunday, read 1-24 from his four overs, including 12 dots.

“It’s great to be back,” he told . “I’m feeling great, my body is good and I’m just loving being out there playing cricket again. Obviously it’s hard when it’s taken away from you. I just love it. Hopefully people can see how much I enjoy it out there, and the feeling of taking wickets...there’s no better feeling. Long may that continue.”

The reason that Stone didn’t play against Lancashire in the four-day game earlier this week was, quite simply, to do with managing his comeback and ensuring that he wasn’t asking too much of his body.

“The plan was to build my overs up safely, to get me out there,” he explained. “We don’t know