Close was then selected to play for England in the third Test match at Old Trafford against the touring New Zealanders; a decision praised by "The Times", who described him as "a young all-round cricketer of such promise as to demand immediate encouragement." In the match, Close became, and to date remains, England's youngest-ever Test player, aged 18 years and 149 days. He came in to bat when England needed quick runs, his instruction from Freddie Brown, the captain, being to "have a look at a couple and then give it a go". Close duly played two balls back to the bowler, then hit out for the boundary, only to be caught in the outfield for a score of nought. He had previously taken one wicket for 39 runs during the first New Zealand innings. In his autobiography, "I Don't Bruise Easily", his early Test call-up is described "an albatross round neck", but Close later attributed this phrase to the book's shadow writer, Don Mosey. During the late-season Scarborough Festival, he became the youngest player to achieve the double, of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a single first-class season.