Sam Billings has doubled his Test cap tally to two after making a late dash to be a Covid replacement for Ben Foakes.
The Kent captain was due to take the field on Sunday at the Oval in London for the start of a county championship game against Surrey, but got a late call on Saturday night to divert northwards. Foakes had been struggling with a sore back and hadn't taken the field during the day, which meant that Jonny Bairstow stepped in as keeper.
But as the day wore on Foakes' symptoms developed to the point where he took a lateral flow test and it confirmed that he had Covid rather than just a bad back. It is hoped and expected that Foakes will make a full recovery in time to take his place in the side next Friday for the one off Test against India, however Billings may yet be added to the squad as a precaution.
Billings was busy playing in the Big Bash for Sydney Thunder up on the Gold Coast when he was called up as cover to the Ashes squad due to injuries to both Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, and due to the risk of catching Covid on commercial flights the 31-year-old made the 12-hour journey to Sydney by car revealing on social media: "Just an observation...Australia is a reallyyyyy big place!"
This time around it was a three and a half hour journey for Billings to undertake as he arrived at the England hotel at 1am on Sunday morning. But he was bright eyed and bushy-tailed enough to take over the keeping duties from Bairstow who had to move back into the field. The ICC regulations stipulate that any mid-match Covid replacement must be a like-for-like player and they must fulfil the same role which means a wicket-keeper keeping.
An ECB statement read: "England Men’s Test wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has tested positive for COVID-19.
"Foakes was unable to keep wicket yesterday on day three of the Third LV= Insurance Test at Headingley suffering from back stiffness. On a further medical assessment yesterday evening, he subsequently tested positive after administering an LFT COVID-19 test.
"Details of his return to the England set-up will be announced in due course. However, it is hoped he will be fit for the LV= Insurance Test against India starting next Friday at Edgbaston.
"Kent wicketkeeper/batter Sam Billings has been drafted in as a like-for-like COVID replacement and will go straight into the XI and he will keep wicket. The rest of the England party follows health protocols of symptom reporting and subsequent testing if required. There are no other positive cases in the camp."
Batting coach Marcus Trescothick was spotted back in the England dressing room after recovering from Covid which had prevented him from playing a part in preparations for this game.
