Robinson and Tongue share match ball after taking five wickets each in Leeds Test against Pakistan

England's pace bowlers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue achieved a rare feat on the opening day of the Test match against Pakistan in Leeds, each claiming five wickets. This accomplishment led them to share an unusual piece of cricket memorabilia: the match ball, which they had cut in half to keep as a keepsake.

According to the ICC website, this was the first time since 2006 that two England bowlers had secured five-wicket hauls in the same innings. Robinson expressed that he and Tongue decided to split the ball as a memorable memento, highlighting the rarity of their achievement. "We were walking off and I was like, to Tonguey, I think we should split it. He said it and I said, I think we should do that, it'd be quite cool," Robinson was quoted as saying. "It's one of those things, you don't have too many half-of-cricket-balls, so it would be something we never forget."

England seized control of the match after opting to bowl. Robinson struck with the first ball of the innings, dismissing opener Azan Awais for a duck and later removed Pakistan captain Shan Masood. Tongue broke a crucial 91-run partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq by dismissing Imam for 42. Robinson then took the wickets of Saud Shakeel and Shafique (who top-scored with 61), while Tongue dismantled the lower order, finishing with figures of 5/46. Robinson concluded with 5/51, bowling Pakistan out for 171 in 48.1 overs.

In response, England's opening pair provided a solid start, but the team slipped to 48/2. However, Joe Root and Cox formed an unbeaten 64-run partnership to put England in a commanding position. At the close of play, England was 112/2, with Root on 37 and Cox on 23.

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We were walking off and I was like, to Tonguey, I think we should split it. He said it and I said, I think we should do that, it'd be quite cool. It's one of those things, you don't have too many half-of-cricket-balls, so it would be something we never forget. It's not very often two guys get five-for in the same innings, so a nice gesture and something to remember.