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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Rory Dollard

Jacob Bethell: England ask debutant to bat third in baptism of fire against New Zealand

Change of plan: Jacob Bethell will bat third on his Test debut for England in Christchurch - (AP)

England have thrown Jacob Bethell in at the deep end after asking the 21-year-old to bat at number three on his Test debut against New Zealand this week.

The tourists were forced into an 11th-hour rethink after wicketkeeper Jordan Cox was ruled out of the series with a broken thumb and have responded with a typically bold gambit, handing the gloves to Ollie Pope and a key role to the untried Warwickshire player.

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