WELLINGTON, New Zealand — As the second test against New Zealand approaches, England has chosen to retain Ollie Pope as their wicketkeeper. The match is set to begin on Thursday at Basin Reserve. 

Following an injury to Jordan Cox, who broke his thumb before the opening match of the series in Christchurch last week, England brought in Ollie Robinson to serve as wicketkeeping backup. Robinson was considered for a possible debut in the second test; however, England decided to stick with the successful lineup from the first test, which they won by eight wickets. This choice means that Pope will continue as the wicketkeeper, while Jacob Bethell remains in the No. 3 batting position. 

Pope’s performance in the first test was commendable; he handled the wicketkeeping duties well and managed to contribute significantly to the team’s score, making 77 runs after being moved down to the sixth spot in the batting order. Bethell also shone during his debut, scoring an unbeaten 50 runs in the second innings, adding depth to the team’s batting lineup. 

Chris Woakes, England’s fast bowler, praised Pope’s efforts behind the stumps, noting that a keeper’s effectiveness is often gauged by how little they are noticed during gameplay, and Pope certainly demonstrated that. Woakes expressed his admiration for Pope’s ability to step up under pressure and contribute with the bat without making a fuss, highlighting his commitment to the team. 

The confirmed England lineup for the upcoming match includes: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes (captain), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Shoaib Bashir.