Debutant Jacob Bethell stepped up to the No 3 position for England against New Zealand – despite never having batted that high in first-class cricket.
The 21-year-old did not disgrace himself in Christchurch, scoring two boundaries in three balls off Nathan Smith after finding himself on one from 26 deliveries, but he then snicked a peach from Smith behind to trundle off for 10 from 34.
The most likely turn of events – although it is often hard to predict what this England side will do – is for Ollie Pope to return to No 3 for the second Test at Wellington from December 6 with wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson soon to arrive in New Zealand.
Robinson, called up after an injury to Jordan Cox, could relieve Pope of the gloves and allow him to return to first drop, with Bethell making way at Basin Reserve.
However, Pope’s 77 against New Zealand from the No 6 berth, and the view that his frantic nature is perhaps better suited to a lower middle-order spot, could leave England in a quandary.
So, just who should bat at No 3?
Give Bethell a run at the job?
Bethell’s elevation into the team was maverick enough, given that the Warwickshire youngster averages 25 in first-class cricket and has not scored a professional hundred.
Deploying him at No 3 was wilder still, albeit that the decision was largely based around easing stand-in wicketkeeper Pope’s workload now that he is pulling double duty in this Test.
Bethell’s first shot at the job, in which it took him 13 balls to get off the mark, was not a wild success but neither should it be ranked as a dismal failure, with those boundaries highlighting his skill and Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain saying he looked “calm and composed”.
Hussain’s fellow pundit Michael Atherton would have batted Joe Root at No 3 (more on that in a bit) but did stress that Bethell’s uninspiring first-class stats do not necessarily mean he will not adapt to the Test arena, saying better pitches may aid him.
Keeping the left-hander where he is for the series in order to get a good look at him is one way England could go, although you sense he would need a considerable innings second time around for that to be the case with Robinson set to land this weekend.
Stick Root in at No 3?
Root said he was not asked to bat at No 3 in Christchurch after Cox’s tour-ending fractured thumb forced the visitors into a rethink, with England’s best player sticking at his beloved No 4 (albeit perhaps not beloved on Friday when he was dismissed for a duck).
Root averages 51.55 in 93 Tests at No 4 compared to 43.57 in 34 at No 3, although his highest score in the format of 262 came at first drop in Pakistan in October when he was nudged up a spot following an injury to Ben Duckett.
When Root previously batted at No 3, it felt like he was guaranteed to be coming in in the first few overs, with England’s opening partnerships back then having the lifespan of an ice cube in an oven.
But Duckett and Zak Crawley have since formed a potent combination – not on day two of the first Test, granted, as Crawley departed for a duck in the fourth over.
Root shunting up a spot now might make sense but, then again, England will be reticent to do anything that risks disrupting his remarkable flow of runs.
No one has scored more than his 1,338 runs in 2024, although, as mentioned, over 200 of them did come at No 3…
Put Pope back at first drop?
Pope was firmly in the spotlight in and after the Pakistan tour having averaged 11 across the three Tests with a best of 29.
A calming Kane Williamson-esque figure at No 3 he most certainly is not and there are far too many early exits – in 47 innings in the position, he has been dismissed for less than 20 on 24 occasions.
But when he goes big, he goes massive: 145 against New Zealand, 205 against Ireland, 196 against India, 121 against West Indies, 154 against Sri Lanka. Hundreds and then some.
This feast-or-famine nature leaves Pope with a not-too-shabby average of 40.28 at No 3 and explains why England have stuck with him for so long.
Yet, his toils in Pakistan and subsequent success down the order against New Zealand, when his innings of 77 was only ended via a staggering one-handed catch from Glenn Phillips in the gully, may prompt England to change tack.
So, if not Pope, Root or Bethell at No 3, how about the captain?
Shove Stokes up the order?
Ben Stokes is the ultimate situation player, as he has shown time and time again in an England shirt, whether it be while wearing the Test white, ODI blue or T20I red.
He can blast it or block it with the best of them – both of those traits were on display in his jaw-dropping Ashes hundred at against Australia at Headingley in 2019 – and he possesses arguably the best defensive technique in the England side.
Stokes would be adept at dealing with 0-1 or 200-1, able to rebuild from the former position and push on from the latter, and as the ultimate team man, you sense he would willingly move himself up the order if he thought he was the best fit.
As his Test career extends, it may be that his bowling takes even more of a backseat, so could No 3 become his new position?
Wherever he bats, Hussain feels Stokes is now looking “more natural”, after a tough time in Pakistan as he returned from a hamstring injury was followed by an unbeaten 37 against New Zealand on Friday, in the city of his birth.
“I watched him in the nets in Pakistan and he almost copied Harry Brook, staying very still with his hands and his back-lift but he looked to have rhythm back against New Zealand, waving his hands around,” added Hussain. “I am glad he has gone back to natural Ben Stokes.”
England’s Test tour of New Zealand
- First Test: November 28-December 2 (Christchurch)
- Second Test: December 6-10 (Wellington)
- Third Test: December 14-18 (Hamilton)
