England may announce their lineup for the inaugural Test against New Zealand as soon as this week.
Following a challenging winter Ashes series, which prompted a comprehensive assessment of the performances of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, as well as a revamp of selection strategies, the focus shifts to how the early rounds of the County Championship will influence their decisions. The team has emphasized paying closer attention to the domestic circuit this season.
In this analysis, Daily Mail Sport delves into the key issues to address following the recent Championship matches.
Opening Batsmen
Ben Duckett, initially under scrutiny after a disappointing Ashes series, solidified his position with an unbeaten double century during Nottinghamshire’s match against Surrey at Trent Bridge on Monday. By opting out of the IPL to concentrate on his red-ball cricket, Duckett has accumulated 503 runs this season, boasting an average of 83.
The main question now is who will partner with Duckett at the top, given that England is likely to drop Zak Crawley, who has struggled with an average below 20 for Kent.
The new County Insight Group – comprising domestic coaches Mickey Arthur, Richard Dawson, Anthony McGrath and Alan Richardson – met with members of the ECB hierarchy, including Rob Key and Andrew Flintoff, last week at Breadsall Priory Country Club in Derbyshire to discuss this and other issues.
James Rew is highly touted by county insiders but he has struggled to make a convincing case so far this season
Instead it is Ben McKinney (centre) of Durham who has made the early running, even ahead of team-mate Emilio Gay (right), who is averaging 92
The view outside the England hierarchy is that the best batsman not in the Test setup is James Rew, who took the bold move of opening for Somerset against Glamorgan at Cardiff, only to be dismissed for four and nought in his side’s surprise two-wicket defeat.
But England have long admired Ben McKinney, who thrashed 87 not out from 71 balls in front of Ben Stokes as Durham hammered Worcestershire by nine wickets in their second-division clash at New Road.
And that may confirm his presence in the pecking order ahead of team-mate Emilio Gay, whose 552 runs this season have come at 92, and Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe, who is averaging 38 – but in Division One.
Middle order
Jacob Bethell will bat at No 3, but with next to no red-ball practice. He has been at the IPL, where he has faced 58 balls in five innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and averaged 14 – but insists he’s better off mixing it with the game’s stars than batting on county pitches in April and May.
Joe Root sat out Yorkshire’s 377-run mauling by Warwickshire at Edgbaston, where Harry Brook made 40 and 26 in his first game of the season – and unexpectedly bowled 18 overs of medium-pace dobbers as the hosts ran up a second-innings 553 for six.
Stokes was needed only once with the bat during Durham’s win at New Road, making 14 before he was dismissed by 20-year-old seamer Jack Home. His batting will be under the spotlight against New Zealand.
Jacob Bethell has missed the start of the county season to play in the IPL, where he has averaged just 14
Ben Stokes was needed more with the ball than the bat for Durham, who thrashed Worcestershire
Wicketkeeper
Jamie Smith made 37 in Surrey’s draw in Nottingham, and hasn’t quite maintained the standards that brought him hundreds in his first two games.
But he still has 446 Division One runs at 63, and – helpfully for England – has kept wicket in the last two matches because of injury to Ben Foakes.
Spinner
Despite five wickets in Derbyshire’s innings win over Northamptonshire, Shoaib Bashir will probably have to wait for his return, after Daily Mail Sport revealed that leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed – also at the IPL – could be set to play his first home Test after five in Pakistan and India.
If selected, Ahmed would strengthen the lower order by batting at No 8.
Rehan Ahmed is the leading contender to be England’s frontline spinner to begin the summer
Ollie Robinson took six more wickets as Sussex beat Leicestershire by seven wickets at Hove
Seamers
Josh Tongue cemented his place by removing four of Surrey’s top six on a flat Trent Bridge pitch, and hindered the preparation of his England team-mate Gus Atkinson by hitting him twice on the helmet, forcing him to retire hurt with concussion.
Jofra Archer, who has been at the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, will need to get some overs into his legs, and it was instructive that a fit-looking Stokes took the new ball against Worcestershire, picking up four wickets in 28.5 overs. Brydon Carse may not be available until the third Test after injuring his hand at the IPL.
Most debate will centre on the identity of the other half of the new-ball attack.
Ollie Robinson took six more wickets as Sussex beat Leicestershire by seven wickets at Hove, and now has 17 this season at 26, while Sam Cook also took six to help Essex to a six-wicket win over Hampshire. His summer’s haul is 21 at 20. Durham’s Matthew Potts, the other contender, has 18 at 25. There is no easy answer.
