James Rew Set for Test Debut as England Make Five Changes
james rew will make his Test debut for England in the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval on Wednesday after Jamie Smith was withdrawn following the birth of his daughter. Rew will take the gloves and bat at number six in a side that has been reshuffled heavily after England’s first-Test win.
England have made five changes to the XI that beat New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s, and Rew is part of a group of three debutants. That means the 22-year-old Somerset wicketkeeper-batter goes straight into a match that carries far more turnover than a routine home selection.
The Oval and Rew
Rew averages 41.71 in 64 first-class games for Somerset, and England have put him in a role that demands both keeping and batting responsibility. He arrives in the XI alongside Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker, with all three set for their first Test appearances.
The scale of the change is notable. England last fielded three debutants in the same XI against South Africa at The Oval in 2017, and this is the first time they have made five changes to their team during a home series since the fourth and final Test against New Zealand in 1999.
Smith and England changes
Smith’s absence is the latest family-related interruption to his England schedule. He also missed the tour of New Zealand in 2024 for the birth of his first child, and this time his daughter was born on Tuesday morning, a day before the Test begins.
England’s reshuffle is not limited to the wicketkeeping spot. Jofra Archer, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox and James Rew have come into the XI, while Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson are unavailable after an incident in a nightclub following the first Test, Ollie Robinson is injured, and Shoaib Bashir has been omitted.
England’s reshaped XI
For Rew, the opportunity comes immediately and in a fixed role: gloves on, bat at six. Cox had moved ahead of him in the pecking order for the second Test after Rew was named in the England squad for the first match, so the switch closes that selection gap at once.
The move leaves England with a line-up built around five changes and three debutants, which is a rare combination for a home series and a sharp turn from the side that won at Lord’s. Rew now gets his first Test at The Oval, with England asking him to settle into a new role as the match begins.
