England confirm Ollie Robinson selection as Test wicket-keeping cover

Ollie Robinson, the talented wicketkeeper from Durham, has been selected to replace the injured Jordan Cox for England's upcoming Test tour of New Zealand.

Cox was ruled out of the tour after sustaining a fractured right thumb on Sunday ahead of the second day of England's warm-up match against a Prime Ministers' XI in Queenstown.

The uncapped Cox had been primed to take the gloves for the duration of the series with Jamie Smith away on paternity leave. Ollie Pope subsequently took the gloves for the first Test, which got underway in Christchurch on Thursday, with Jacob Bethell handed his maiden Test cap.

Related

England win toss and bowl in first Test

Stokes skipped IPL auction to 'prolong' England career

Latham wants NZ to switch focus to England challenge

Cox ruled out of New Zealand Tests with fractured right thumb

Like Cox, Robinson began at Kent before taking his talents to Durham where he has thrived. Since moving to the north-east, he has averaged 53 in the County Championship, with five centuries among 1,802 runs - at an impressive strike rate of 86.22 - helping Durham achieve promotion in 2023, then stabilise as a Division One side this summer. He has also 92 dismissals behind the stumps to his name in the previous two seasons.

Robinson, who turns 26 on Sunday, was unlikely to make it to New Zealand in time for the first Test in any case, but will only arrive in Christchurch on Saturday - the third day of the first Test - because he had begun the process of renewing his passport when he received the call up. A regular in the Lions set-up since 2019, he was due to tour Australia at the start of next year.

He will immediately come into consideration for the second Test in Wellington, which begins next Friday (December 6). Robinson was unlucky to miss out to Smith at the start of the summer when England went searching for a new wicketkeeper but could get an opportunity to state his case in the next three weeks.

Bizarrely, he is the second player with the same name to win an England call-up in the last three years. He is no relation to the other Ollie Robinson, though both players were born in Kent and share a birthday, December 1.