Boult to skip England series, Bracey set for Test debut

New Zealand seamer Trent Boult is set to miss both Tests against England in a bid to be fresh for the World Test Championship final, while England's debutant James Bracey has been receiving help from an unlikely source.

Boult will arrive in England on Friday, when the first Test at Lord's is already underway, and Black Caps coach Gary Stead said he would build up with an eye to the showdown with India on June 18-22 rather than a second match against England at Edgbaston the week prior.

"I don't think you'll see Trent in the two Test matches here," said Stead said.

"He arrives on Friday, our planning and what we're looking at doing with Trent is having him ready for the World Test Championship final.

"He's been home, he has had a week of bowling over there which has been great after the fair amount of isolation time at the end of the IPL.

"But our view with Trent right now is it's unlikely that he will play the Test at Edgbaston. And he's more likely to be just available for the one-off Test."

This week's first Test (from Thursday, 8pm AEST on Fox Cricket and Kayo) will see Bracey take the gloves for England on debut after a freak injury to Ben Foakes, who slipped on a sock laying on the dressing room floor and suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined for three months.

"I didn't really have it on my radar to be there as a keeper – I knew Ben was highly likely to take those gloves," said Bracey, who is averaging 47.90 in the County Championship this season.

"When I got the call it didn't really sink in straight away … this is absolutely my chance.

"I've benefited from Foakesy having a freak accident and I think if I put in good performances over the next couple of games, that could see me bed into the squad moving forward.

"The manner that it happened, I am gutted for him. I know he is gutted, but he has been brilliant with me over the last 48 hours.

"I spoke to him yesterday and he has been really helpful to me in terms of keeping and our different bowlers and what challenges I might come up against.

"I've kept to a lot of them in practice, in various practice games and that sort of thing. That's why I reached out to Ben because there are little things that you don't get from not keeping to people in proper games.

"He was really helpful and gave me a couple of little tips."

Bracey's batting this season with Gloucestershire already had him in the mix as a batter for an England team missing several of their IPL stars, including fellow keeper-batsmen Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow.

"When it comes to batting, I like to get in a battle, be gritty, and not afraid to go through those hard yards," said Bracey.

"I'm definitely willing to put in those hard yards. I think I like to be patient, calculated, think about the game and try my best to stay calm.

"I'm in a really good place with my batting. I came out of that trip to Asia (in the winter) and looked at myself and thought I could do a job in Test cricket in that top three.

"That's what I've been aiming to do. Opportunity comes with the gloves but I want to be batting in the top three as well.

"If the option comes to do that at some point, I'm really excited for it."