England hand debut to James Rew after Jamie Smith's late withdrawal

New Zealand tour of England, 2026

Last updated on Tue, Jun 16, 2026 • 5:05 PM

England will have a third debutant in the second Test against New Zealand following the late withdrawal of Jamie Smith, with uncapped wicketkeeper-batter James Rew drafted into the XI for his maiden appearance.

Smith was withdrawn from the fixture after the birth of his second child, allowing him to remain with his family. The 22-year-old Rew, who has been knocking on the door with prolific returns in county cricket, now gets his opportunity at the highest level.

The Somerset wicketkeeper-batter has scored 3921 runs in 64 first-class games, averaging 41.71, with 12 hundreds and 17 fifties. In four innings this county season, he has scored 225 runs, including a hundred and a fifty.

England had already announced debuts for Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker, with Rew's inclusion now making it five changes for the England XI for the Oval Test.