Lever urges England to bat Cox higher up the order

Essex president John Lever has urged England to try and find a way to allow Jordan Cox to bat higher up the order in Test cricket.

Cox made his debut at number seven in the 253-run defeat by New Zealand at The Oval, scoring 27 and 25 in his two innings.

And with captain Ben Stokes and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith back for the series decider at Trent Bridge, starting on Thursday, he has lost his place in the XI.

Cox scored a double century in the County Championship for Essex immediately before the second Test and Lever told BBC Essex: "He's a talented boy, he really is.

"It's (a question of) where do you get him in. To put him in at seven, to bat with the tail, I just thought if he's going to get a chance, he's got to be up the top somewhere.

"He's thinking 'shall I chance my arm and get a few runs before I do run out of partners', so it wasn't a great position to bat in."

Seam bowler Sam Cook is another Essex player with one Test cap, and although out of action at the moment with a wrist fracture, Lever believes he will eventually be given another chance after playing against Zimbabwe in May 2025.

Lever won 21 Test caps and took 1,722 first-class wickets during his career and was surprised Cook was overlooked for England's tour to Australia last winter.

"He's quick enough and hits those lengths. I know they had Mitchell Starc but the others who got all the wickets were a Sam Cook type of bowler," he said.

"I think he's certainly one for the future."

Essex continue their T20 Blast campaign away to Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Friday, following a three-day defeat by Nottinghamshire in the Championship.

Lever said they remain a club that punch above their weight despite being a club without the extra income from being a Test match ground and must continue to produce their own local players.

"This is why Essex have been so successful, that has been our mantra all the way through," he said.

"We produce homegrown players - we use Suffolk and surrounding minor counties to help, and they've been brilliant - and it really is the way forward.

"We need overseas players, of course we do, but it's becoming increasingly hard to get them for a whole summer and that fragments things."

John Lever was speaking to BBC Essex sports editor Victoria Polley