Tom Westley has already tasted success against South Africa this summer and now the Essex right-hander believes this familiarity with their bowlers could help ease the jump to Test cricket when he makes his England debut next Thursday.

Westley, who scored an unbeaten 106 against the tourists for England Lions last month, has been handed the No3 spot in Joe Root’s side following the fractured index finger that ruled Gary Ballance out of the third Test at the Kia Oval. He is part of a 13-man squad who include the similarly uncapped Dawid Malan of Middlesex and with the bowling options unchanged.

While Malan’s chances hinge on England opting for an extra batsman, Westley has been told he is playing. This move, which has left the much-tipped and in-form Surrey opener Mark Stoneman overlooked, breaks up a left‑hand dominated top three and no doubt comes with a recommendation from his Essex team‑mate Alastair Cook.

It also brings in a player who has scored runs against Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Keshav Maharaj from No3, meaning Vernon Philander, who missed the three-day warmup match against the Lions at New Road, will be the only unknown to him among the South Africa attack.

“I appreciate everything in Test cricket is going to be another step up in intensity but I can take confidence from having faced the majority of their bowlers a few weeks ago and scored some runs,” said Westley, who scored centuries against the touring Sri Lanka and Australia in the previous two summers. “For me the key will be replicating what I’ve been doing with Essex.”

This has been scoring heavily over the past three seasons, with his 1,217 runs last year instrumental to Essex securing the Division Two title. Like the county as a whole, the jump to the top flight this year has seen Westley’s form unaffected with two centuries and average of 53 for the pacesetters.

Malan will hope England opt to bolster a batting lineup that was heavily criticised for a limp showing in Nottingham. This would likely mean dropping Liam Dawson and returning Moeen Ali to No8, something Trevor Bayliss has already stated he would be reluctant to do given the latter’s desire to be seen primarily as a batsman who bowls.

The England coach does like the look of Malan and in particular the way he handled Morkel, Morris and the occasion when striking a 44-ball 78 against South Africa on his Twenty20 international debut in Cardiff. Against the red ball the 29-year-old has been a consistent performer with Middlesex in the past three seasons, averaging in the 40s.

Malan’s county team-mate, the seamer Toby Roland-Jones, will also be considered for a debut, having gone unused from the two previous squads. One wicket in four innings and a bruised heel at the end of the Trent Bridge Test means Mark Wood’s spot will be debated, with the Durham quick set for additional work with the England and Wales Cricket Board coach Kevin Shine in the coming days.

Stoneman has been urged to keep churning out the runs for Surrey following this latest rejection, with the left-hander having pushed his name into the selection mix with three Championship hundreds and an average of 58 since his winter switch from Durham.

His former team-mate Keaton Jennings has looked out of sorts during his first home summer and thus a spot could yet open up for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, or the three-match series against West Indies.

England squad for the third Test

Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Keaton Jennings (Durham), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex), Ben Stokes (Durham), Tom Westley (Essex), Mark Wood (Durham).