Dan Lawrence is on standby for England’s second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge with Ben Duckett awaiting the birth of his first child.
Opening batter Duckett is expected to play at his home ground in Nottingham from Thursday but Surrey man Lawrence will step in at the top of the order if required.
Lawrence has played 11 Tests for England, most recently in the West Indies in 2022, each in his usual spot in the middle order, scoring four fifties with a best of 91.
Thursday 18th July 10:00am
Captain Ben Stokes said ahead of the Trent Bridge Test, at which England will be looking to wrap up a series win with a game to spare: “There is a plan in place for Ben and his partner.
“We will have to make a decision if it was to happen before the game and we were batting but if it happens during the Test Ben will go and come back into the team.
“He is incredibly desperate to play this Test match but the message from me and Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum] is that family comes first.
“Whatever decision he ends up making he knows he will get our full support.”
Stokes: Wood is in our best XI
England – who won the series opener at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs – named their XI for the second Test on Tuesday, with fast bowler Mark Wood replacing the retired James Anderson against an unchanged West Indies.
Stokes says Gus Atkinson, who recorded a 12-wicket match haul on debut last week, will take the new ball alongside Chris Woakes, with the latter to earn his 50th Test cap.
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Stokes explains why Mark Wood was selected to replace the retired James Anderson
Stokes wants Woakes, 35, to take on a leadership role within the bowling attack following the end of Anderson’s international career and has refused to rule out the seamer featuring for England overseas despite playing his last away Test back in 2022.
Uncapped Nottinghamshire fast bowler Dillon Pennington was denied a debut at his home stadium, with Durham paceman Matthew Potts also omitted once again.
“We picked what we felt was the best XI in the squad,” added Stokes.
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Stokes says not many players in international cricket will enjoy facing Wood swinging the ball at 94mph
“Finding another bowler that can bowl between 87 and 90mph… it is very exciting at the prospect of Gus Atkinson running in from one end and Mark Wood from the other.
“Woody had an unbelievable Ashes last summer. He was a massive player with a huge impact and everyone knows why – because of his pace. He was too hard to look past as he is one of our best bowlers.
“There will be opportunities for Dillon this summer, no doubt, but at this moment in time Woody makes it into our best XI.
“The way the Dukes ball has behaved there has not been that much movement in the air, it has generally been off the surface, hitting the seam. Gus is a very good exponent of that.
“When it gets to 10-12 overs, that’s when it starts to swing and that is where me and Woody can come in. Woody bowling at 94mph with the ball swinging is going to be tough for anyone.”
‘Anderson has so much to offer English cricket’
Anderson, who ended his Test career with 704 wickets across 188 matches following his debut in 2003, has now taken up a role as bowling mentor for the rest of the summer.
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Stokes says England’s bowlers are desperate to pick the brain of new mentor Anderson following his retirement as a player
Stokes added of Anderson: “You can see the lads are desperate to pick his brains.
“It was different before as he was preparing for his own game so it was like, ‘let him do his stuff and pick his brains as much as you can when appropriate’.
“Now you can see how the lads were drawn towards him, wanting to know what he thinks and how he holds certain deliveries.
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Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton looks back on Anderson’s remarkable Test career
“I think it has been a very smooth transition. There is still emotion there – it has only been a week – but I think he knows he has so much more to offer English cricket, particularly with the ball.
“I can’t think of a better bloke to pass on the knowledge of fast bowling to the guys we have at the moment.”
Watch day one of the second Test between England and West Indies, from Trent Bridge in Nottingham, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday (first ball to be bowled at 11am).
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