England’s Jordan Cox sidelined from New Zealand series due to thumb fracture

Wicketkeeper Jordan Cox, who has represented England in three one-day internationals and two T20s, will miss England’s upcoming series in New Zealand after sustaining a broken thumb. Cox, who has yet to make his Test debut, sustained the injury to his right thumb during a net session in Queenstown, prior to the second and final day of England’s sole warm-up match against a New Zealand Prime Minister’s XI. The 24-year-old was slated to make his inaugural Test appearance in Christchurch on Thursday (22:00 GMT, Wednesday), stepping in for the primary wicketkeeper, Jamie Smith, who is absent from the three-match series due to paternity leave. With Cox unavailable, Ollie Pope is expected to take over wicketkeeping duties, which positions 21-year-old Jacob Bethell as a potential recipient of his first Test cap. The left-handed Bethell’s inclusion in the squad was unexpected, given that he has not yet scored a century in senior professional cricket. Nevertheless, he has made a positive impression since his white-ball debut for England in September. Bethell and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed are not presently in Queenstown; instead, they are traveling directly to Christchurch, having been part of the squad for the limited-overs series in the West Indies. Pope has previously served as England’s wicketkeeper on three occasions: once during a tour of New Zealand in 2019 and for two Tests in Pakistan in 2022. Vice-captain Pope assumed wicketkeeping duties on Sunday, the second day of the warm-up fixture. However, due to only 14 players being in Queenstown and some choosing additional net practice, England requested James Anderson to participate as a fielder. Anderson, aged 42, has been serving as England’s bowling consultant since his retirement from Test cricket in July and is listed for the Indian Premier League auction, which commences on Sunday. This injury is a significant setback for Cox, who was receiving throw-downs from England assistant coach Jeetan Patel at the time. Cox has held the position of reserve wicketkeeper and batter within the Test squad since the summer and had already received confirmation that he would debut in Smith’s stead. England plans to summon a replacement, but Cox’s injury represents the most recent development in an evolving wicketkeeping scenario. Smith, 24, was designated as the primary choice at the start of the home summer, following the omission of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes. A comeback for either Bairstow or Foakes appears improbable. Phil Salt has performed wicketkeeping duties for England in white-ball formats, and Ollie Robinson of Durham has made a strong impression in the County Championship. James Rew, a 20-year-old from Somerset, is considered a promising talent and is presently with the England Lions in South Africa, as is Matty Hurst, another 20-year-old from Lancashire. After incurring a 113-run deficit from the first day’s batting by both teams, the Prime Minister’s XI posted 313-5 declared from 66 overs, with Olly Stone emerging as England’s most effective bowler, securing figures of 3-53. Tasked with chasing 201 runs with limited time remaining in the day, only Joe Root (82* from 54 balls) and Ben Stokes (59 from 39) managed to score more than single digits, as they combined for a 111-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Despite a flurry of wickets, the visiting team nearly achieved an improbable victory; however, the match concluded with England at 196-9 from 22 overs, falling five runs short of their objective.