Lack of quality across counties leaves England Test team uncertain

Three-and-a-half rounds of County Championship matches into the season and the likely make-up of England’s Test team remains as uncertain as it was a month ago. After the Ashes debacle, the management encouraged candidates to step up with runs and wickets, but many fancied contenders are struggling to assemble a convincing body of work.

Durham’s Ben McKinney, fresh off a double century against an admittedly anaemic Gloucestershire attack two weeks ago, found life rather trickier against James Anderson at Chester-le-Street, where an early away-nipper from the great man sent the off stump cartwheeling.

McKinney’s team-mate Emilio Gay, batting No 3 and another with credible England aspirations, fared better in reaching 41 from 89 balls but then rather gave things away by driving ambitiously at Tom Bailey to be caught at slip. Anderson also trapped the former England opener Alex Lees leg-before for eight to take his haul for the season to 23 as Lancashire, the second-division pacesetters, took the upper hand.

The batting spot most obviously up for grabs at present belongs to Zak Crawley, who has mustered only 87 in five innings. Crawley’s long-time Test opening partner Ben Duckett who also had a tough winter, played nicely for 62 as Nottinghamshire’s reply to Warwickshire’s 459 at Trent Bridge got off to a shaky start after Haseeb Hameed was bowled by Chris Woakes for a 14-ball duck, leaving Hameed stuck on 62 for the season.

Duckett’s half-century was his first in red-ball cricket since the final Test against India in August last year.

Some of the most convincing batting of the day from England “possibles” came at the Oval where Dominic Sibley and Ollie Pope both scored fifties in a century third-wicket stand that steadied the Surrey ship after the early losses of Rory Burns and Jamie Smith to a disciplined Essex attack. Pope looked set for a second century in three innings when he chipped a return catch to Jamie Porter on 69.

If England decide to replace Crawley with a trained opener — rather than giving the job to James Rew, whose 379 runs for Somerset have come at No 3 and No 4 — then the case for Sibley, who last played Test cricket in 2021, may be as strong as it is for anyone. Pope, who was dropped after three Tests of the Ashes, cannot be discounted from an England recall if a vacancy becomes available lower down the order.

England’s seam attack is even more uncertain than the top order, and in this department too no one has been knocking down any doors. Sam Cook bowled well enough for Essex at the Oval but went wicketless in 16 overs and was outshone by Porter, who struck twice. Nor did Ollie Robinson find early joy for Sussex at Headingley.

Jofra Archer again bowled a fine first over for Rajasthan Royals to dismiss Travis Head, the fifth time in this year’s IPL Archer has struck in his first over. Earlier, the astonishing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a century off 36 balls for Rajasthan with five fours and 12 sixes. He now owns two of the three fastest three-figure scores in IPL history.

Hundreds were harder to come by in the championship. Nottinghamshire’s top-scorer was Joe Clarke with 94 and Mason Crane was stumped on 99 looking to slog-sweep Ajaz Patel for a maiden century in his 101st first-class innings — the third 90-odd of Glamorgan’s innings against Leicestershire. Will Williams of Gloucestershire, who like Crane had a previous best of 61 (in his case in 111 innings), was run out for 98 batting at No 10.

Williams was party to Shoaib Bashir taking a bit of punishment before the England off-spinner secured a third wicket for Derbyshire, finishing with three for 116 from 31.1 overs.

Brett D’Oliveira made 90 as Worcestershire built up a commanding lead against Kent.

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