With the County Championship kicking off on Good Friday, attention turns to who might force their way into England’s Test XI for the home series against New Zealand starting June 4.
Top order and middle order
Rob Key’s public mention of Asa Tribe has put the Glamorgan opener in the spotlight. With Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley producing modest returns in Australia (roughly mid‑20s averages) and selectors signalling consequences for poor form, there may be vacancies at the top of the order. Tribe enjoyed a standout 2025 — just over a 45 average, two centuries and three fifties from 11 innings — added a century for the England Lions in Australia and will be under greater scrutiny now Glamorgan are back in Division One.
Other candidates include Surrey’s Dom Sibley and Nottinghamshire’s Haseeb Hameed, both of whom topped 1,200 Division One runs last year; Hameed’s 2025 strike‑rate (58.24) was noticeably higher than Sibley’s (45.90). Durham’s Ben McKinney and Sussex’s Tom Haines, who opened together for the Lions this winter, are in the frame, as is McKinney’s team‑mate Emilio Gay, who struck four Championship hundreds in 2025.
Wicketkeepers
If England decide to move on from Jamie Smith after a difficult Ashes, Somerset’s James Rew is the obvious emerging candidate. Rew cleared 1,000 county runs last season and has long been touted as an international prospect; his younger brother Thomas, 18, who led England to the Under‑19 World Cup final, is also highly rated.
Durham’s Ollie Robinson — the wicketkeeper, not the seamer — combines tidy glovework with batting ability, though his average dipped below 30 last term. Ben Foakes remains the benchmark for pure keeping, offering top‑class glove work and regular county keeping duties for Surrey, while Jonny Bairstow will always harbour hopes of a recall even if opportunities look limited.
Seam bowlers
England’s seam unit lacked sustained penetration at times in the Ashes, so a traditional county quick like Sam Cook has been mentioned. The Essex paceman, who has one Test on his CV (v Zimbabwe) played on a batting‑friendly Trent Bridge, piles up first‑class wickets — 328 at about 20.64 — and was name‑checked by Rob Key; with Chris Woakes retired, England may need a classic county seamer.
Sussex’s Ollie Robinson (the seamer) remains an option too. The 32‑year‑old has not featured for England for over two years amid fitness and off‑field questions, but his height, accuracy and ability to move the ball both ways produced 76 Test wickets at just under 23 and he would have offered something when Australia exploited short, loose bowling.
Spin options
England’s spin cupboard is relatively thin. Shoaib Bashir was left out of the Ashes squad and has moved from Somerset to Derbyshire in search of progress under fresh coaching; part‑timer Will Jacks also bowled in the late Tests. Jack Leach, the dependable left‑arm option, led Division One spinners in 2025 with 52 wickets and brings control even if he lacks occasional flash.
Northamptonshire’s leg‑spinner Calvin Harrison took 36 wickets in Division Two and chipped in with the bat — a century and two fifties — winning admirers, including Michael Atherton. Rehan Ahmed is an intriguing spin‑bowling all‑rounder: the 21‑year‑old amassed five red‑ball hundreds last season, but his 23 wickets included 13 in one match, underlining a degree of inconsistency in his bowling. Sussex’s James Coles, a spin‑bowling all‑rounder who passed 1,000 Championship runs in 2025, may find a Test route more plausible via his batting plus useful spin.
Where things stand
There is depth in some areas and clear questions in others. Opener slots, keeping and seam options look most likely to change if current incumbents fail to deliver, while specialist spin remains an area for development.
Watch the summer on Sky Sports: England begin the three‑Test home series against New Zealand on June 4.