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James Rew

Durham wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson has eyes on England place

With Ben Foakes yet to match imperious glovework with consistent runs and Jonny Bairstow potentially at a career crossroads following a lean tour of India, there are a number of contenders eager to push to the front of the queue.

Foakes’ Surrey team-mate Jamie Smith has no shortage of admirers, Somerset’s James Rew enjoyed a superb breakout season in 2023 and white-ball regular Phil Salt is keen to make the move across formats.

But there is also a compelling candidate at Chester-le-Street. Robinson was outstanding as Durham stormed to the Division Two title last season, scoring three centuries and 931 runs at a strike-rate of 88.66 to mark himself out as a ‘Bazball’ natural. In the field he contributed 37 catches and 10 stumpings.

That won him a place on England Lions’ winter series against India A and the 25-year-old is not shying away from the possibility of a swift promotion ahead of Durham’s top-flight return against Hampshire on Friday.

“You see articles all the time, people putting stuff online, and it sounds like the media think there’s going to be changes with England,” he told the PA news agency.

“Whether it’s me or someone else, who knows, but that’s an exciting place to be at the start of the season. It’s a bit of a shootout in a way.

“Things like the Lions call-up show you you’re not that far away. It might just be about who starts the best. That’s not me putting pressure on myself but it is an exciting opportunity to really put your name in the hat if something was to happen and changes are to be made.

“Coaches talk about having healthy competition all the time and that’s what drives people onwards, knowing someone is on your tail. I’m used to that, before I was here I was at Kent and I had Jordan Cox and Sam Billings around me so I’ve always had that feeling of trying to force my way in.”

Robinson is also pleased to be coming through at a time when England’s attacking philosophy, led by head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, chimes with his own instincts.

“That’s the way I’ve always played, I like to score runs and hit boundaries,” he said.

“I remember opening the batting for Kent against Northamptonshire once and getting 100 off 100 balls. Everyone was asking, ‘Are you in a rush to get somewhere?’.

“It’s a breath of fresh air for me that it’s becoming more the norm to go about things that way. I score quickly and hit the ball in areas that some players don’t. Batters are there to score runs, it doesn’t matter how many you face.”

Teddy Bishop scores unbeaten 97 but Windies U19 lose second Youth ODI by one wicket

The West Indies won the toss and elected to bat and made 180-9 in 39.3 overs.

Notwithstanding, Matthew Nandu retiring hurt for four, the young West Indies side got off to a good start with an opening stand of 64 inside 12 overs before Anderson Amurdan was bowled by Fateh Singh for 27.

Teddy Bishop, who replaced Nandu, made an unbeaten 97 while carrying his bat throughout the remainder of the innings even as his side collapsed around him.

He and Captain Akeem Auguste had added 22 for the second wicket when the latter was bowled by Matthew Prest for 6, triggering a capitulation that saw the West Indies lose their last seven wickets for 94 runs.

It would have been worse had it not been for a 54-run seventh-wicket partnership between Bishop and Isai Thorne, who was the only other batsman to make double figures, with 11.

Prest (3-36), Jacob Bethell (3-29) and Sonny Baker (2-19) were the destroyers as the West Indies failed to bat their allotment of 50 overs.

In reply, England lost wickets early and were 26-2 with openers Prest and William Luxton in the hutch for 11 and 0, respectively. Bethell and James Rew put on 53 for the third wicket before the former was dismissed by Onaje Armory for 20.

Rew was the anchor for the England middle order as the home side got to 155 for 5 inside 29 overs, only 26 runs from their target. However, once he was run out for 63, things swung the West Indies way as England slipped to 162 for 9 by over 35.

However, Singh, who was unbeaten on 12 and Nathan Bramwell on three, took England over the line.

Thorne was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 3-54 while Armory ended with 2-42 and Anderson Mahase 2-34.