England’s team leader, Ben Stokes, said that Dan Lawrence, a right-handed batsman, is ready to step in for the second Test match against the West Indies at Trent Bridge. Lawrence is on standby because Ben Duckett, who is also in the team, might need to leave if his first child is born soon. Duckett’s fiancée, Paige, is expecting their baby, and if Duckett has to be with her before the game starts, Lawrence will take his place in the team as a backup.
“We have a plan for Ben and his partner,” Stokes mentioned during the press conference before the match on Wednesday. “We’ll need to decide what to do if it occurs before the game when we’re batting. If it happens during the match, Ben will leave and then come back to the team. He really wants to play in this Test, but our message, from me and Baz (the head coach Brendon McCullum), is that family is the most important thing. Whatever choice he makes, we fully support him.”
Stokes confirmed that Gus Atkinson will share the new ball with Chris Woakes after the retirement of experienced fast bowler James Anderson at Lord’s. Atkinson performed well on his Test debut, taking 12 wickets for 106 runs and playing a key part in England’s win by an innings and 114 runs. “I mentioned last week that when I first saw Gus play in the World Cup in India, he showed all the qualities of a top-notch bowler,” Stokes commented. “Much of it depends on the Dukes ball and how it acts. There hasn’t been much movement in the air with the new ball; it usually moves off the surface, hitting the seam, and Gus is excellent at that.”
Stokes explained more about the plan involving Atkinson and Mark Wood, who joined the team after Anderson retired. “When the ball starts to swing a lot, around 10-12 overs, that’s when Mark and I come in,” he said. “It’s exciting to find another bowler who can throw the ball between 87 and 90mph. Having Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood bowling from opposite ends is a great situation. Mark had an amazing Ashes last summer and made a big difference with his speed. Throwing the ball at 94mph with it swinging will be difficult for any batsman.”
Stokes ended by recognizing the competition for spots on the team. “We chose what we thought was the strongest lineup from the squad. Woody is one of our top bowlers, and although there will be chances for Dillon this summer, right now, Woody is part of our strongest lineup.”
