Somerset batter James Rew has been drafted into the England Men’s Test squad ahead of the forthcoming Rothesay Test match against Zimbabwe, which gets underway at Trent Bridge on 22 May.
Rew replaces Essex’s Jordan Cox, who has been ruled out after sustaining an abdominal muscle injury while batting against Somerset in the latest round of the Rothesay County Championship.
This is the first senior England call-up for the 21-year-old, who has been in outstanding form for Somerset in this year’s County Championship. Rew is currently averaging 54.21 with the bat, including a highest score of 152.
A product of the England Lions pathway, Rew toured Australia with the Lions last winter and was a key figure in the Young Lions side that reached the ICC U19 World Cup final in 2022, alongside current internationals Rehan Ahmed and Jacob Bethell.
Rew will link up with the Test squad at their pre-series training camp next week as preparations begin for the start of the international summer.