Stokes fit as England name unchanged squad for 2nd Test against New Zealand

England have named an unchanged playing eleven for their second Test against New Zealand, set to begin at Basin Reserve in Wellington on Dec.6. England had won the first Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch after beating New Zealand by eight wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

It means that vice-captain Ollie Pope will continue to be England’s stand-in wicketkeeper for the second Test, with left-handed batter Jacob Bethell retaining his number three spot. Pope was solid in his wicketkeeping and hit 77 after shifting down to number six.

On the other hand, Bethell hit a rocking unbeaten fifty off 37 balls to finish England’s chase of 104 in 12.4 overs. Despite uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Robinson joining the team after Jordan Cox was ruled out due to a broken finger, England have resisted temptation to change the winning combination.

“They always say when you don’t notice a keeper he’s done a good job and Ollie certainly did that. He was brilliant last week, stepping into a role he hasn’t done a lot of. Obviously he can keep and has done previously for England, but to step up at short notice like that and do the job he did was fantastic.

“For him to score runs just shows his character, putting his hand up for the team without any fuss and cracking on. to move to number six, get such a good score for us and contribute to a big partnership was massive,” said seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes to reporters on Wednesday.

Captain Ben Stokes is also set to play the Wellington Test as an all-rounder despite pulling up with a back injury on day four of the Christchurch game. A win for England in Wellington will help them clinch their first away series win in two years.

Meanwhile, Batter Jacob Bethell, who scored an unbeaten fifty on debut in England’s eight-wicket win over New Zealand, has signed a two-year central contract, running until September 2026.

It follows after Bethell, who made his white-ball debuts in September and got an IPL 2025 contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was awarded a development contract last month.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) added that seamers Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, who picked ten wickets in Christchurch, and Matthew Potts have all extended their contracts until September 2026.

Agencies