Bedford’s Emilio Gay has been rewarded for a fine start to the new County Championship season with a first ever England call-up for the first test against New Zealand beginning on Thursday, 4 June.
Gay, who has 552 runs in the County Championship so far, will open the batting alongside Ben Duckett, as confirmed by England Cricket’s Managing Director, Rob Key in an interview with Sky Sports after the squad was announced.
26-year old Gay is one of three debutants in a new look squad, alongside fellow batter, Somerset’s James Rew and bowler, Sonny Baker with the side once again captained by Gay’s teammate at Durham, Ben Stokes.
England have also confirmed Marcus North as their new national selector, with the former Australian batter also director of cricket at Durham.
Lord’s awaits
This is the latest step in the burgeoning career of Emilio Gay, who has secured his spot in the England test match squad through sheer weight of runs.
Batting at three for Durham in the County Championship, Gay has already scored three centuries this season, including an unbeaten 159 against a James Anderson-led Lancashire that propelled him into the England conversation.
However, he is an opener by trade, having began his professional career at Northamptonshire before securing a move to the north east at the back end of 2024.
Read: Emilio Gay signs for Durham after rejecting new Northants contract
It has now been confirmed he will open the batting alongside Ben Duckett, who put to bed any questions of his own spot with a double century in his last game for Nottinghamshire.
Fellow debutant, James Rew is a middle order batter by nature, and has been cited as the “spare batter” by Key.
England are playing a three-match test series against New Zealand, beginning at Lord’s on 4 June before tests at The Oval, also in London and at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
Gay is in an almost unique position of having a choice of international allegiances.
He has reportedly already turned down an approach from the West Indies, a nation he qualifies for through the paternal side of his family, while he already has multiple white ball appearances for associate nation, Italy through his mother’s side.
Gay had spent the winter shadowing the full England team on what was ultimately another ill-fated Ashes trip Down Under, scoring two half centuries for England Lions against a Cricket Australia XI and a Prime Minister’s XI.
Read: Emilio Gay impresses Down Under ahead of World T20 with Italy
He may have made the T20 World Cup with Italy, who qualified for the first time ever in February, only for a hamstring injury to curtail his chances, but the Bedfordian has bounced back impressively.
Gay also becomes the second opening batter from an impressive Bedford School alumni to be called up for the England squad this century. If Gay can contribute anything like the runs of Sir Alastair Cook, he has a very bright future indeed.
England’s three-match test series against New Zealand begins at Lord’s on Thursday, 4 June at 11:00.
Update: This article was updated at 17:15 on Wednesday, 13 May, to add comments made by England Cricket Managing Director, Rob Key, and further amended at 09:30 on Thursday, 14 May, to correct batting statistics in the County Championship
