Cricket analysis: The race for England’s opening spot – Five players who could replace Zak Crawley

With the County Championship season now underway, competition for the opening spot in England’s top order is high.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Sai Raghav Balakrishnan explores the suitability of five candidates.

Crawley out of favour

After the Ashes debacle earlier this year, the County Championship has begun with the most competition for national-team places since the start of the ‘Bazball’ regime.

The player who has faced the most scrutiny, however, is Surrey opener Zak Crawley, who exemplified the overwhelming loyalty shown to middling players by England head coach Brendon McCullum and ECB director of cricket Rob Key.

Nothing represented the now infamous quotes of “running towards the danger” and “see ball, hit ball” more than Crawley creaming the first ball of the 2023 Ashes through cover for four as part of a contrasting partnership with diminutive left-hander Ben Duckett.

Crawley averages a paltry 31.12 after 64 matches, holding the unwanted record of having the lowest Test average of the 36 players who have opened at least 30 times.

When the announcement was made that McCullum and Key would be staying on in their respective roles despite an Ashes humbling, the opener’s fate was more or less sealed.

With disillusionment and anger towards the English team at an all-time high after the failure to beat an Australian side severely hampered by injuries, the ECB had pledged to rectify the shortcomings of the current regime.

Key stated that England selection procedures would be more ruthless and admitted they had “overvalued loyalty and overvalued having a settled team” when speaking to reporters.

He also promised to pay more attention to the county system after years of neglect, with most top domestic performers suggesting it was impossible to break into the English Test team.

Former England captain Michael Atherton even suggested that Crawley would need a mountain of runs to maintain his place in the England team.

That mountain of runs must come in the upcoming weeks, with a list of suitable contenders ready to step up if recently hired selector Marcus North wants to go elsewhere.

Crawley has done little to impress, though, averaging 19.77 with a high score of 44 after four matches – and it begs the question: who could replace him for the first Test against New Zealand in June?

James Rew

Somerset opener James Rew is undoubtedly one of England’s biggest prospects.

At just 22, he averages over 40 in first-class cricket and has made an impressive start to the season.

He has already scored 392 runs at 43 this season, albeit at number three or four, but his recent promotion to the opening position suggests that England is looking at him as a viable option.

Furthermore, he offers a wicket-keeping alternative to Jamie Smith, who also came under fire for his under-par wicketkeeping display against the Aussies.

While the potential upside might be high, his lack of experience as an opening batsman works against him, and he will need a series of stellar performances to push for a place alongside Duckett.

Emilio Gay

Swashbuckling Durham opener Emilio Gay has made a terrific start to the 2026 season, scoring three centuries in four games at a staggering average of 94.50.

His strike rate of 73.36 would certainly suit the Bazball way, and while he bats at number three to accommodate highly talented Ben McKinney and former England opener Alex Lees, he averages 53.21 across 31 innings while opening.

It is, however, important to mention that his runs have been scored on exceedingly batting-friendly surfaces, where bowlers have struggled for any kind of penetration.

The 25-year-old has also made all his runs this season against Division Two attacks, which are levels below the quality of attacks international teams like New Zealand and Pakistan possess.

Interestingly, he averages 21.37 against bowlers with a Test cap, suggesting a potential lack of ability against the cream of the crop – something that could be a factor in his selection.

And with most teams preferring to have a right-hand, left-hand combination at the top, southpaws Gay and Rew may miss out if McCullum wants to carry on with that trend.

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Asa Tribe

21-year-old Asa Tribe has caught the eye of cricket fans and ex-players with his performances for the England Lions and in the SA20.

Kevin Pietersen and Ravichandran Ashwin have heaped praise on the Glamorgan opener, with the former advocating for his selection in the England Test side.

He was instrumental in Glamorgan’s promotion to Division One, smashing 731 runs at an average of 45.69 and subsequently earning a call-up to the England Lions for their games against Australia A.

Tribe was then the shining light in the Lions’ innings defeat, scoring an unbeaten 129 against an experienced Australia A attack, impressing with his compact technique and temperament at the crease.

But while England benefited from throwing Jacob Bethell straight into the deep end in Australia, they might be wary of doing the same with the Jersey cricketer.

His 85 against a strong Nottinghamshire attack that included English Test seamers Olly Stone and Josh Tongue indicated his ability against high-quality pace.

Still, he averages only 38.75 this season, and England may look to give Tribe more time before thrusting him into the England side.

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Ben McKinney

Durham left-hander Ben McKinney resembles the towering frame of Crawley the most, standing at 6 foot 7, while possessing all the attributes of a Test opener.

His imposing stature makes him a tricky batsman to ball at, with good-length deliveries often being converted into half volleys, and his long levers allow him to negotiate spin with minimal footwork.

McKinney is also heavily backed by fellow Durham team-mate and England captain Ben Stokes, which may leave him in good standing when it comes to selection.

The 21-year-old has bludgeoned 471 runs at an average of 67.29 and an exceptional strike rate of 75, showcasing his suitability to the Bazball style.

His ability to construct long innings was exhibited by his dynamic 244 against Gloucestershire, but with the bulk of his runs coming against the significantly weaker attacks of Division Two, he is untested against proven Test-match quality.

Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith is the Bazball option to open.

The Surrey batsman has made a prolific start to the season, averaging 63.71 after seven innings, and his promotion to number three indicates an eagerness to move up the order.

With his wicketkeeping skills coming under the scanner, his promotion to opener may open the door for Rew, who has scored most of his runs in the middle order.

Smith possesses all the power and aggression of Crawley but has a better technique, making him less susceptible to loose dismissals early on, unlike his predecessor.

Many batsmen have made exponential improvements once they have given up the gloves, notably legends like Kumar Sangakarra, AB de Villiers, and even Jonny Bairstow, who experienced a late-career resurgence after being relieved of his wicketkeeping duties.

While his stint as a white-ball opener was underwhelming, Smith has repeatedly proven his ability as a red-ball batsman and could be most suited to partner Duckett.

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