London, May 8 : Somerset's James Rew has earned his maiden England call-up for the upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe, replacing Jordan Cox, who has been ruled out with an abdominal muscle injury.

The 21-year-old Rew has been in fine form this County Championship season, averaging 54.71, and now steps in as the squad's reserve batter.

"James Rew has been drafted into the England Men's Test squad ahead of the forthcoming Rothesay Test match against Zimbabwe, which gets underway at Trent Bridge on May 22. Rew will link up with the Test squad at their pre-series training camp next week as preparations begin for the start of the international summer," the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement on Thursday.

Cox, originally selected after missing his Test debut over the winter due to a thumb injury sustained during England's tour of New Zealand, suffered another setback over the weekend. While playing for Essex against Somerset in Taunton, he injured his side while running a single on 99 and had to retire hurt shortly after reaching his century.

Scans have since confirmed he will be unavailable for the Zimbabwe Test, continuing an unfortunate run of near-misses - including a broken finger during The Hundred in August 2023 that required surgery.

Rew, meanwhile, impressed in that same match with a crucial fourth-innings century that helped Somerset chase down 321. With that knock, he became the youngest English player since Denis Compton to record 10 first-class centuries. A talented wicketkeeper-batter, Rew has been on England's radar since starring in the 2022 U19 World Cup, where he top-scored with 95 in the final.

He scored his first Somerset hundred that same year and enjoyed a breakout 2023 season, amassing 1,086 County Championship runs at an average of 57.15, including five centuries. His white-ball credentials are equally strong, with two List A tons and an unbeaten 62 in just his second T20 match during last season's Vitality Blast semi-final. He's also been a regular for the England Lions.

The England squad will assemble in London this weekend for a training camp at Loughborough before heading home briefly ahead of the first Test, which begins at Trent Bridge on May 22.

/IANS