Tongue & Robinson cut Headingley ball in half

Much like it is a tradition for a footballer to take away the match ball after scoring a hat-trick, a bowler will pocket the cricket ball after claiming a five-wicket haul.

But what happens if two bowlers take five-wicket hauls in the same innings?

England seamers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue came up with a solution after they snared five apiece on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan.

"Robbo said we can split the ball in half," Tongue told Test Match Special. "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."

Robinson showed off his half in a media conference and explained: "We were walking off the field.

"Josh said it and I said: 'We actually should do that, it would be quite cool.'

"You don't really have too many halves of a cricket ball, so it would be something that we never forget."

The efforts of the pace-bowling duo helped Joe Root get off to an ideal start on the first day of his second stint as England Test captain.

Tongue claimed 5-46 and Robinson 5-51 to skittle Pakistan for 171 after England won the toss. The home side moved to 112-2 by the close in Leeds.

Tongue and Robinson are the first pair of England bowlers to register five-wicket hauls in the same Test innings since Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2006.

They led England off the field at Headingley hand in hand, hatching their plan to make one ball into two halves.

"Wayne Bentley, the team manager, took it down to the groundstaff," said Robinson.

"I said: 'Do you reckon they will be able to do it?' Within five minutes he brought it back up and it was done. It's really nice."

For Robinson, the success in the first Test comes just days after he and wife Mia welcomed their first child together. Baby Eva was born in the early hours of last Thursday.

"I've been catching up on my sleep since I got to the hotel in Leeds," said Robinson, who has another child from a previous relationship.

"It's a really special week having another baby. It almost makes today even sweeter, when you leave them after the birth and you put a performance in. It meant a lot today to do that.

"I know they're not here, but I was thinking of them the whole time."

Robinson's spell, his fifth five-for in Test cricket, continued a successful return to the England team since he was recalled at the beginning of the summer.

The 32-year-old played his first Test in more than two years against New Zealand at Lord's following a period left out of the England team because of concerns about his fitness.

Robinson marked his recall with seven wickets in the match against the Black Caps, including a five-wicket haul.

He now has 88 Test wickets at an average of 21.25. No England seamer since 1914 has taken as many wickets at a better average.

"I probably learned a lot about myself when I was out of the team," said Robinson.

"At the moment I probably feel as good as I've ever felt. I'm probably not in as a good rhythm - I know that sounds silly after wickets - but I'm probably not in as good a rhythm as I would like.

"As long as I can stay on the park and stay fit, hopefully I can get that rhythm and stay good."

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