McCullum and Stokes impressed as former Northants man Emilio Gay makes his mark on England debut

The left-hander, who left the County and joined Durham at the end of the 2024 season, made the top score of a low-scoring match on a lively pitch, with his 57 from 95 balls in the second innings key to England securing a 114-run victory on Sunday.

Bedford-born Gay came through the Northants youth set-up and made his first team debut as a teenager at the back end of the 2019 season.

Over the next five years Gay went on to establish himself as a first team regular at Wantage Road, before opting to make the switch to the north east.

That move has ultimately paid dividends, and on his Test debut the former Bedford School pupil was one of only two players to pass 50 in the match, with the other being Harry Brook in England's first innings.

Opening the batting with another Northants product in Ben Duckett, Gay, who made eight from 14 balls in the first innings, looked right at home in the high-pressure environment of Test cricket second time around, and he has certainly made an impression on the men at the top.

"I was super impressed," admitted McCullum when asked about Gay, who also played club cricket for Northampton Saints. "I felt like a week ago things were spinning a bit for Emilio - the initial step into the England set-up.

"Concerned is not the right word - it was more like, 'right, you just have a little bit of work to do to calm him down a little bit so that he is ready to go'.

"But, over the course of that week, he really drilled down on his preparation, which is vital for him to feel he is able to go out and operate the way he wants to.

"He became calmer and calmer the closer he got to the start line. He slowly settled himself and realised he didn't have to be anyone else.

"Emilio is a pretty emotional guy and it is pretty hard to suppress those emotions and handle the extra stuff you have to when you come up to international cricket and do it straight away.

"I was a) incredibly impressed with how he played in difficult conditions - that 50 is worth a lot more than what it probably reads on the scorecard - but b) by the calm he operated with. It is rare to see that when you step up to this level.

"I am sure he has many more Test runs ahead of him. He will have grown immensely from the week's work. He has moulded brilliantly into the group."

Stokes knows a bit more about Gay than McCullum, having seen him close up at his county Durham, but he too was delighted with how his club-mate took to the international stage.

And he believes the conditions and bowling he confronted at Lord's will stand the 26-year-old in good stead for the weeks, months and years to come.

"I said to Emilio that is as tough as it gets, and is at the top end of tough in terms of Test cricket," said Stokes.

"The conditions he had to face, the pressure he went out under in that third innings in what was such a low-scoring game.

"Those 50 runs he got at the top there were monumental in terms of us getting to a lead that we were very comfortable with that we could secure the victory.

"That was a tough introduction to Test cricket, and I think it is going to do him the world of good.

"Obviously, you would like to see him score more runs, you always do as a batter, but that was a massive contribution from Emilio on debut."

Gay's performance has ensured he will once again open the batting when the two teams meet in the second Test that is scheduled to start next Wednesday (June 17) at the Oval.