England have announced that Surrey duo Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson will make their Test debuts in the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s on Wednesday (10 July).
It seems like the dawn of yet another era of English Test cricket. James Anderson will turn out for England one final time this week, in a game that will mark the end of a 21-year career; and the player who defined Bazball's early success, Jonny Bairstow, now finds himself away from England's red-ball team, too.
Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' seemingly evolving Test-match outlook will see 23-year-old Jamie Smith come into the side, ahead of both Surrey teammate Ben Foakes and Bairstow, to take the gloves for England.
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson, also of Surrey, will make his Test debut tomorrow as well, with plenty of expectations for him to make a mark as England continue to search for long-term replacements for the recently retired Stuart Broad and the outgoing Anderson.
Whether Smith or Atkinson can make the most of their opportunities and stake claims to a long-term place in England's red-ball side remains to be seen. But with both boasting some seriously impressive first-class numbers coming into their debuts, expectations are high.
What are Jamie Smith's first-class numbers like?
Smith's rise from decent county batter to potential international star has been rapid. He made his first-class debut only five years ago, and it wasn't until last year that he started to garner serious attention when he smashed a 71-ball hundred for the England Lions in a four-day match against Sri Lanka A. Shortly after that, he was picked for England's one-day side against Ireland in September.
But it is in the longer format that Smith has excelled. He currently averages 41.87 in first-class cricket, the number rising with virtually every innings he plays. He averages 56.41 this season across 677 runs – the most by a Surrey batter – at a strike rate of 77, and has smashed successive fifties in his last three innings, converting one of them into a first-innings century against a strong Essex bowling attack.
His ability to score quickly has got him the nod ahead of Bairstow, Foakes and Durham's Ollie Robinson, as Stokes and McCullum will want him to get quick runs batting in the lower-middle order.
Crucially, however, he has not been taking the gloves for Surrey. Although he is competent the stumps, his glovework will be under scrutiny this series – especially with Robinson, who is averaging over 70 this season, breathing down his neck.
What are Gus Atkinson's first-class numbers like?
Reputed for his ability to bowl with serious pace and bounce, the 6ft 2in Atkinson has been touted to play Test cricket for some time now.
Although he has only played 19 matches since his debut for his former side Essex four years ago, Atkinson has taken 59 first-class wickets at under 28 apiece with an impressive strike rate of 48..
His ability to crank it up and force batters to play has made him valuable for Surrey in the middle overs. He often comes to the ball as the first- or second-change bowler. England will look to use him as an enforcer, similar to how they have used Mark Wood in recent years.
Atkinson has also already put his abilities on display for England's white-ball side, for which he has played three T20s and nine ODIs, and took four on T20I debut against New Zealand.
He also took three top-order wickets in his most recent game against Warwickshire. England will hope he continues his good form against the West Indies next week.
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