England in New Zealand: Dom Sibley set to make Test debut
- Published
Dom Sibley (left) and Rory Burns (right) attended the same school and opened the batting together for Surrey second XI and first team
New Zealand v England, first Test |
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Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui Date: 21-25 November Time: 22:00 GMT (20-24 Nov) |
Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, Radio 4 LW, online and the BBC Sport App; live text commentary on BBC Sport website |
Dom Sibley says he has been planning for his England Test debut for "quite a long time" as he prepares to open the batting against New Zealand.
The opener, 24, is set to play in the first Test at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday at 22:00 GMT after topping the county batting charts this season.
"Opening the batting, you have to accept that you are going to have some low scores," he told BBC Sport.
"But it's a case of, if I do get in, I go big and make the most of it."
Sibley scored 1,324 runs for Warwickshire in County Championship Division One this summer - no other player managed 1,000 - and made a century in England's opening tour match against a New Zealand XI.
"The team hasn't been confirmed but the thought of potentially making my Test debut is pretty exciting," he said.
"I've been thinking about it for quite a long time, been planning for this and working hard towards it. I'm just glad that it is close now."
Sibley looks set to open alongside former Surrey team-mate Rory Burns, with Joe Denly - who opened in the final Ashes Test of the summer against Australia - or Zak Crawley likely to bat at three and captain Joe Root four.
Sibley says he and Burns go "way back", adding: "He drove me to my first second team game, which I opened in with him.
"To potentially open the batting with him in the Test match would be amazing."
Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Gary Stead is considering whether to name uncapped fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in his side to "fight fire with fire" with England's Jofra Archer.
"(Archer's pace) is obviously a point of difference but we've got someone in our squad who bowls at a similar type of speed as well who's pretty quick in Lockie Ferguson," said Stead.
"It's really exciting for Lockie and a potential debut for him at some stage."