Emilio Gay Earns England Call-Up For First Test Against New Zealand At Lord’s

Emilio Gay earned his first England call-up for the first Test against New Zealand, with the match at Lord’s beginning on Thursday, 4 June.

“- Published On the day he learned he would be England's new opener, Emilio Gay drove from Durham to Bedford to tell his parents about his first international call-up”

BBC

The Bedford Independent said Gay, the County Championship’s leading run scorer with 552 runs so far, will open the batting alongside Ben Duckett, as confirmed by England Cricket’s Managing Director, Rob Key, after the squad was announced.

BBC

The BBC reported that Gay received a phone call at 08:00 BST from Durham director of cricket and new England national selector Marcus North, telling him he is in the squad to play New Zealand at Lord’s on 4 June.

The BBC also said Gay drove from Durham to Bedford to tell his parents about the call-up, adding, "He actually kind of woke me up."

England’s new-look squad for the Lord’s Test includes captain Ben Stokes and debutants James Rew and Sonny Baker, with the series also scheduled at The Oval and Trent Bridge.

England appointed Sarah Taylor as the first female coach for an England men’s senior side, naming her fielding coach for the Test series against New Zealand that begins at Lord’s on 4 June.

The Times said Taylor will work with a new-look squad that includes Durham’s Emilio Gay, who will open the batting, and it also noted that Rob Key confirmed Taylor’s appointment.

Bedford Independent

The Guardian described Taylor as "the first female coach to work in the men’s senior setup" and said Key told her, "We’ve been unbelievably impressed with her and the way she goes about her business."

The Times reported that Marcus North was confirmed as the new national selector, and it said the 15-man squad for the Lord’s Test begins on June 4.

The Guardian added that the day’s other key news was the return of Ollie Robinson and the official confirmation that North had joined the set-up as a full-time selector after leaving Durham.

England’s squad for the Lord’s Test also reflects a reshuffle at the top, with Zak Crawley left out after the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia and Gay given the nod to open alongside Ben Duckett.

“England are preparing to finalise their first Test squad of the summer, with a host of county hopefuls waiting to find out if they have done enough to earn a call”

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WION said England dropped Crawley amid poor form, stating Crawley scored just 273 runs in 10 innings, and it said the first Test at Lord’s starts next month on June 4.

The Independent said Gay appears the favourite to partner Ben Duckett at the top of the order with Crawley left out, and it linked the change to a desire for greater new-ball bowling options reflected by the recall for Ollie Robinson.

The Independent also quoted Key saying, "We’ve selected a squad that we believe has a really exciting blend of proven international quality, strong county form and players with huge potential to develop at Test level," as the selectors balanced experience and emerging talent.

The Tribune | Asian reported that England named three uncapped players—James Rew, Emilio Gay and Sonny Baker—for the opening Test at Lord’s on June 4, alongside the return of spinner Rehan Ahmed and seamer Matthew Fisher and fast bowler Ollie Robinson.