Emilio Gay has had a baptism by fire on his international debut.
The 26-year-old left-handed batsman, ahead of day one of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday, received his Test cap from none other than Sir Alastair Cook.
Cook and Gay went to the same school in Bedford. It was an emotional moment for the debutant to all intents and purposes. However, his joy was short-lived as he fell to Kyle Jamieson in the sixth over of the first session for 8.
It's not something out of the ordinary. It has happened to many cricketers, and some of them went on to become one of the greats. England fans would hope that's exactly how Gay's journey pans out.
Gary Steer, director of cricket at Bedford School, has said that he always knew Gay was special.
{{/usCountry}}Gary Steer, director of cricket at Bedford School, has said that he always knew Gay was special.
{{/usCountry}}“Everyone at the school is really pleased that he's gone on and been selected for England.
"He was a really easy lad to work with because he just loved playing the game, and he took everything on board.
"You could see straight away that he was a talented cricketer," the BBC reported Steer as saying.
"We're pretty confident that Emilio will go on and do well in his own right because he's got all the credentials to do well at the Test level.”
Steer started working with Gay almost one and a half decades ago. He has some good things to say about the debutant’s batting. “He had a good, solid batting technique, but batting long periods of time is probably his biggest strength."
Moment of pride for Bedford!
The entire Bedford community is happy today. Mohammad Yasin MP, the Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, congratulated the player for representing England at last.
"Every cricketer dreams of representing their country, and today Emilio achieved that dream.
"From Bedford Cricket Club to the home of cricket, Emilio's journey is a testament to hard work, perseverance, and dedication," he said.
While the Durham man has failed in his first innings, England would hope he moves on from this and becomes a solid opening partner for Ben Duckett over time. Last time England played a Test, it was Zak Crawley and Duckett opening for them at the Ashes earlier this year.
Crawley's inconsistency had been one of the reasons behind England's poor show in Tests in the last couple of years. England badly need a good replacement. That's why there is so much spotlight on Gay.