England's Test summer has been anything but ordinary. So far, it has featured just 166 overs of cricket not even enough to complete two full days of play yet it has already delivered its fair share of drama and uncertainty.
In that brief period, both Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been ruled out of a Test match, a security guard has reportedly been assaulted, and Ollie Robinson's international comeback has been halted by injury.
Elsewhere, New Zealand great Kane Williamson has announced his retirement, England have handed Test debuts to four players across two matches, and Shoaib Bashir has experienced a frustrating sequence of events — selected for the first Test, not called upon to bowl, and subsequently omitted.
Off the field, there have also been significant personal developments. Devon Conway returned to New Zealand for the birth of his child and is set to feature in the second Test, while Jamie Smith will miss the match following the arrival of his second baby. Even the criticism surrounding the pitch used in England's first-Test victory at Lord's already feels like old news.
English cricket, it seems, is never far from controversy. From Dirt in the Pocket, Zimbabwe and the Fredalo affair, to the captaincy and eventual dismissal of Kevin Pietersen, and later the controversies of Bristol, Wellington and Noosa, the game has repeatedly found itself engulfed by off-field drama.
The latest chapter centres on Ben Stokes.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has strongly denied reports that Stokes has been asked to step down as Test captain, insisting suggestions that senior officials are attempting to force him out are inaccurate.
England head coach Brendon McCullum struck a sombre tone when discussing the all-rounder's situation, admitting he has "worry and concern" for his captain. However, Durham coach Ryan Campbell has offered a more positive update, saying Stokes remains in "good spirits".
For now, the uncertainty surrounding England's talisman continues to cast a long shadow over proceedings at The Oval.
