England take on New Zealand in the second IT20 at Old Trafford on Friday evening with 95mph speedster Gus Atkinson in line to make his international debut for the home side.

The 25-year-old fast bowler recently scooped glory in The Hundred with the Oval Invincibles, beating England T20 skipper Jos Buttler’s Manchester Originals to win the third edition of the tournament.

Atkinson’s performances in the 100-ball competition has seen his stock rise almost as quickly as he bowls and Manchester will be the scene of his England bow as Buttler’s side look to seal a series win over the Black Caps, following Wednesday’s seven-wicket win at Durham.

Atkinson has been on the radar of the England one-day setup for some time and now a fast and bouncy pitch at Old Trafford will be, what he hopes, a successful launchpad for a long and successful international career.

2005 Ashes winner Simon Jones believes England have made an “outstanding call” in selecting Atkinson, who plays his County Cricket for Surrey and is likely to replace Brydon Carse in the England side from Wednesday’s win.

“I've seen quite a bit of him over the last year and a bit, I think it’s an outstanding call,” Jones told Online Cricket Betting.

“He's got genuine pace, good control, I think it's a great opportunity for him. I think he's earned that opportunity.

“I'm really looking forward to watching him bowl when he gets the opportunity and hopefully he does.

“I saw one game where he bowled up to 94 or 95 mph, so he's going to be quick and quicker than anyone at the minute and hopefully he does well.”

“It's one of those things when it gets to that level you can find out if someone is able to play at that level. It might sound a bit obvious but some people take to it and some people struggle slightly. I think he'll be fine.

“He's got that confidence around him, he plays at Surrey so he's got a lot of experience around him in Jason Roy and others who have been there at that top level. I think he'll hit the ground running and do well.”