England in New Zealand: Jordan Cox ruled out of Test series with fractured thumb

England wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox has been ruled out of the Test series in New Zealand with a fractured thumb after being struck on the hand in the nets.

The Essex player was set to deputise for Jamie Smith behind the stumps in the three-match series against the Black Caps, which begins in Christchurch on Thursday, but England will now be forced into a rethink.

Cox was sent for X-rays after being pinned on the right glove in the warm-ups ahead of day two of England's sole warm-up game against a New Zealand Prime Minister's XI in Queenstown.

England later confirmed the extent of the injury, with head coach Brendon McCullum saying after Cox was denied a Test debut: "I'm gutted for Jordan. He has been shaping up nicely, both with the bat and gloves, since we got to New Zealand.

"That's sport, and unfortunately, these things happen. We will get around him and look after him. He is resilient, and his time will come at some point in the future."

Ollie Pope stood in as wicketkeeper - a position he has filled three times in his 52 Tests - against the New Zealand Prime Minister's XI and may do so again in the first Test with Jacob Bethell coming into the XI for his debut, but a replacement for Cox will be called up in due course.

England white-ball wicketkeeper Phil Salt is currently playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament and could be a candidate to step in.

Jonny Bairstow is also playing in that competition and does still possess an England central contract, although the national team seem to have moved on from him in all formats.

Ben Foakes, who was not awarded a deal when the latest central contracts update was announced in October, is also an option, if an unlikely one, with Durham's Ollie Robinson and Somerset's James Rew perhaps more probable selections.

Cox has not kept wicket in first-class cricket since July 2023 after a gruesome finger injury, although he did take the gloves for England on day one in Queenstown and claimed a catch off Gus Atkinson.

The 24-year-old's knock in the nets on Sunday, coupled with Bethell and Rehan Ahmed not linking up with the squad until Monday after playing in the recent white-ball series in the West Indies, meant England had to call upon bowling mentor James Anderson as a substitute fielder for a short period.

Skipper Ben Stokes also took to the field at John Davies Oval after opting to sit out day one of the fixture, which ended in a draw.

Stokes went on to score 59 from 39 deliveries and Joe Root hit an unbeaten 82 as England made 196-9 in their second innings to end up five runs from their victory target, after the hosts declared on 313-5 second time around.

Zak Crawley made 94 on day one when 20 wickets fell, with England dismissed for 249 after skittling the New Zealand side for 136.

VidSport Live' Ian Ward on Cox injury: "He would have been absolutely thrilled to be going down to New Zealand and making his Test debut. Unfortunately that's not to be. These things happen.

"He'll be absolutely gutted… It was a fantastic opportunity for him to lay down his marker and his credentials. Injury has robbed him of that."

"I don't they'll go back to Ben Foakes at all," Ward added. "Jonny Bairstow, he's still under central contract but again I don't think they're going to go back that way. I think the obvious one is Durham's Ollie Robinson. I think it was a toss up between him and Jordan Cox as to who was to go down to New Zealand for this series.

"I think they will go down the route of Robinson whether or not he'll get there in time for the first Test. He probably won't. He won't be up to speed so Ollie Pope will have to keep. That will bring in a different challenge for them to balance the batting order.

"It's a significant disruption and I think that was perhaps a fault in the initial selection not to have another spare keeper. They went with the extra spinner, bizarrely, I don't think lots of spin is going to be needed in this series. So they travelled without that real out-and-out reserve wicketkeeper. So the wicket-keeping duties will fall to Ollie Pope in Christchurch. So where does he bat? In a short term gig you probably can keep and bat three, but not for any length of time.

"To lumber him with the gloves would be another challenge for him if he's going to stay at number three."