In the opening game of a three-Test series against New Zealand in Christchurch, Jacob Bethell is scheduled to make his Test debut for England. The opening day of play is set for Thursday, November 28. The 21-year-old Warwickshire batsman will bat at number three in the lineup.
Although Bethell had a mediocre first-class record with an average of 25.44 and no hundreds, his selection was first viewed as surprising. Nonetheless, he was selected because of his impressive white-ball cricket accomplishments, which included two fifties in seven T20Is and another in eight ODIs.
Bethell just became even more well-known when Royal Challengers Bangalore paid £246,000 to sign him in the Indian Premier League auction. He will join England colleagues Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone at the club for his debut IPL season as a result of the pact.
Because Jordan Cox is injured, Ollie Pope will be the replacement wicketkeeper for the first Test. Cox was unable to play in the series opener after breaking his right thumb during practice in Queenstown last weekend. Additionally, Pope will bat at number six, lower in the order. At first, Cox was supposed to take Jamie Smith’s position, who isn’t in the series since he’s getting ready to have his first kid.
Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse are the main seamers in England’s bowling assault for the Christchurch Test, while skipper Ben Stokes offers supplementary pace-bowling options. Jack Leach was passed over for the position of front-line spinner by Shoaib Bashir. Pacers Olly Stone and Matthew Potts, as well as leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, will not play in the opening game.
In remembrance of Martin Crowe, the captain of New Zealand, and Graham Thorpe, the former batter for England, who both died earlier this year, the series will unveil the new Crowe-Thorpe Trophy. In partnership with their families, the ECB, and New Zealand Cricket, the trophy honors the legacy of these two great cricket players.
The trophy includes important items from the athletes’ careers as a unique homage. The design incorporates a piece of the bat that Thorpe used to score his first two Test hundreds against New Zealand in 1997, together with his scribbled notes from both innings. In a similar vein, the GM bat that Crowe used to reach his century at Lord’s in 1994 was provided by his family.
The contributions Thorpe and Crowe made to Test cricket are well known. With an average of 44.66 and a peak score of 200 not out against New Zealand in 2002, Thorpe accumulated 16 hundreds. In contrast, Crowe amassed 17 hundreds at an average of 45.36, including a career-high 299 in an innings.
Their superiority and the long-standing rivalry between the two countries are both recognized by the new prize. In order to represent their lasting influence on the game and the common history between England and New Zealand, it will be revealed before to the first Test.
The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy and Bethell’s debut give significance to the series opener by honoring historical figures while also showcasing the promise of up-and-coming talent. There will be fierce competition throughout the series, and England wants to start well in Christchurch.
