England fast-bowling depth chart: A battery that can win the Ashes

Will MacphersonSun, August 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM UTC

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England’s commitment to seam despite the dry summer could pay off in the long run - Reuters/Lee Smith

There has been much debate over the structure of England’s Test side as they begin life without an all-rounder following the retirement of totemic talisman Ben Stokes.

For the series against Pakistan, even at the end of a long, hot summer that has dried out pitches, England have opted to effectively park spin and back a four-pronged seam attack.

Rather than select Shoaib Bashir, Dan Lawrence is batting No 6 and providing occasional off-spin. Captain Joe Root and, perhaps when he returns to fitness, Jacob Bethell, can supplement him.

England flirted with a recall for seam-bowling all-rounder Sam Curran, who is now injured. But the success of the four out-and-out seamers at Headingley opens up a path to trying to regain the Ashes next summer, and the start of a new World Test Championship cycle.

With the exception of February’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh, where the side will need rebalancing, all England’s matches are in locations that should favour seam over spin.

At Headingley, the four seamers England selected were presented with helpful conditions and a passive, poor Pakistan batting line-up. But they all bowled well, and looked perfectly balanced.

Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue are the next generation of England seamers, following the departures of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, while the end of Mark Wood is in sight.

None of the new generation is young; these are experienced, seasoned professionals who have struggled with injury and waited for their chance. Archer, Tongue and Atkinson are also at the heart of England’s ODI attack.

Clearly, conditions will dictate little tweaks to the shape of the attack, but here is what each man offers, and who is waiting in the wings to step in when needed.

The metronome: Ollie Robinson -

Age: 32

Tests: 22

Wickets: 91

Average: 20.86

Robinson has had an extremely eventful Test career, dropping in and out of the side, but his record is remarkabkle. After 22 Tests, he has 91 wickets at under 21. This summer, he has 15 wickets in two matches and collected two man-of-the-match awards.

Robinson spent two years on the outer when Stokes was captain, with a combination of fitness and attitude concerns meaning his face just did not fit. But he has made all the right noises this year to earn a recall, and worked hard on his conditioning, meaning he is bowling long spells.

His value is clear: an exceptional command of line and length, relentless accuracy, and a gorgeous wrist which means he has cracked the wobble seam that is so dangerous these days. His pace (or lack of) is not a problem, especially when the rest of the attack is so quick.

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Robinson is also a thinking cricketer who captains his county, who provides England with a bit of mongrel and edge that they may need without Stokes.

In reserve: Sam Cook should be first reserve for Robinson, as another very accurate bowler who has mastered wobble seam. Surrey’s Matt Fisher is another option, while Craig Overton’s domestic record means he should not be discounted.

The game-changer: Jofra Archer -

Age: 31

Tests: 21

Wickets: 74

Average: 28.82

Before Archer’s long struggles with injury, he was usually England’s only quick option, a point of difference who Root overused. This time, he is one of a number of quicks, which means he can be used more sparingly and intelligently. Archer is a fine new-ball bowler, but of this attack, he is also the most natural enforcer with the short ball, who can crack open a game in a single spell.

Archer’s Test record – an average of 28.8 – is not as good as it should be, but it is moving in the right direction. Since returning last summer, he averages under 26.

In reserve: Sonny Baker had a tricky Test debut earlier this summer, but has plenty of promise, while it was heartening to see Olly Stone return to form so strikingly against Surrey at the Oval this week. His career has been dogged by injury, but he should not be entirely written off yet.

The versatility: Gus Atkinson -

Age: 28

Tests: 19

Wickets: 80

Average: 23.62

Atkinson would probably rather take the new ball, but is having to settle for first-change status behind the Sussex pair. He bowled tightly on his first appearance at Headingley, and did not pick up as many wickets as his colleagues, but has an exceptional record – especially at Lord’s, where the series continues on Thursday.

Among those who have bowled 2,000 balls for England, Atkinson’s strike rate of 39.7 is bettered only by George Lohmann, who played his last Test 130 years ago. He is the only England bowler in the top 10 of the ICC rankings.

In England, Atkinson is a very rounded bowler: a threat with the new ball, who can dry it up later in the innings, or bowl short and quick. He also had a higher average pace than Archer at Headingley.

In reserve: Fisher and Matthew Potts – who had a bruising Ashes but picked up five wickets on Saturday – cannot offer the same pace as Atkinson, but are accurate. Sussex’s Henry Crocombe was in a Test squad earlier this summer and is developing quickly. Further back in his development is Hampshire’s Eddie Jack.

The strike bowler: Josh Tongue -

Age: 28

Tests: 13

Wickets: 65

Average: 27.38

Tongue is, in many ways, quite an un-English bowler. Genuinely quick, a bit wild, but a true wicket-taker. He also has the benefit of not needing access to the new ball to thrive. In both innings at Headingley, he was held back until around the 20-over mark, but finished with eight wickets in the match.

His leakiness means his average is a touch higher than Atkinson, but his strike rate of a wicket every 40 balls is similarly superb. Tongue has a naturally full length, and swings the ball from an awkward action.

In reserve: Brydon Carse, who was expensive but picked up wickets in the Ashes, is the obvious next man in if one of the “big four” were unavailable. Carse is a natural Tongue replacement in particular. England love the aggression of Lancashire’s Mitch Stanley, who, like Tongue, is a product of Worcestershire who keeps getting better.

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Source: “AOL Sports”