Jordan Cox has emerged as an injury doubt ahead of his planned Test debut against New Zealand next week, after sustaining a hand injury in the nets.
With Jamie Smith back home awaiting the birth of his first child, Cox was ready to deputise as wicketkeeper in the three-match series which begins in Christchurch on Wednesday.
But the 24-year-old was hit on the right glove while batting in warm-ups on day two of their warm-up match in Queenstown and was later sent for X-rays after the pain failed to settle.
Ollie Pope, an occasional keeper who has been picked three times behind the stumps in his 52 Tests, stood in and would be pressed into action again in the first Test if Cox was to be ruled out.
England would likely add a replacement for the second and third Tests if that happened, with Phil Salt a likely candidate despite his involvement in the Abu Dhabu T10.
The likes of Durham’s Ollie Robinson and Somerset’s James Rew could also come under consideration, while experienced duo Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes were axed in favour of Smith earlier this year.
The injury also meant England were forced to hastily shift their plans on Sunday morning, with captain Ben Stokes taking the field at the Sir John Davies Oval having previously opted to sit out the game.
With the likes of Zak Crawley and Harry Brook also netting in the morning and squad members Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed linking up with their team-mates on Monday having taken part in the white-ball tour of the West Indies, England had to call upon a familiar face to make up the numbers.
Record wicket-taker James Anderson, who is the team’s bowling coach after being ushered into retirement during the summer but insists he feels ready to continue his playing career somewhere at the age of 42, donned the England whites once again to help out for a few overs at the start of play.
