County Championship: Ben Stokes pours more misery on axed England Test team-mate Zak Crawley
Zak Crawley was axed by England this week after a fallow start to the season and he suffered more misery at the hands of Test captain Ben Stokes; watch England's three-Test series vs New Zealand from June 4 live on Sky Sports
Friday 15 May 2026 20:30, UK
Ben Stokes poured more misery on axed England Test team-mate Zak Crawley but Kent got on top against Durham at Beckenham in the County Championship on Friday.
Crawley, 28, was taken out of the firing line for England's three‑Test series against New Zealand, his struggles in the Ashes having shown no sign of improvement during the opening weeks of the County Championship season with Kent.
He made 30 before miscuing Test captain Stokes to Matthew Potts before 19-year-old Ben Dawkins and veteran middle-order batter Sam Northeast, 36, put on 303 together.
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Dawkins capped his maiden first-class ton by ending the day unbeaten on 181 after Northeast was out for 141, with Stokes, bowling first change for Durham after opening last week, claiming one for 70.
'Crawley's position had become untenable'
Sky Sports Cricket's Michael Atherton said Crawley's position at the top of the order had become untenable and that the time for change had arrived.
"England have stuck with Crawley for a long time - he has played 64 Tests now, averaging 31," the former England captain said.
"His appearances are high on the all‑time list for England batters, but his returns don't put him high up. His position had become untenable.
"His returns at Test level did not justify his retention, and his returns with Kent this season did not justify his retention. It was long expected he would be left out, and I think it was right to make a change.
"I never believe in closing the door on people. No team is good enough to do that - certainly not England at the moment.
"It is hard to see Crawley returning any time soon given the chances he has had - the players who come in now will need opportunities - but I wouldn't say he's finished for good.
"People need to feel they have a chance when they're playing domestic cricket; otherwise, what's the point?"
Bairstow's first century as captain digs Yorkshire out of a hole
Jonny Bairstow's first century as Yorkshire captain dug his side out of a hole after Surrey's Matthew Fisher dismissed England Test team-mates Joe Root and Harry Brook at Headingley.
Fisher has been drafted into a 15-man England squad for next month's first Test against New Zealand - selected ahead of Essex's Sam Cook - and the ex-Yorkshire seamer picked up three wickets to leave his old side 121 for four.
Root was pinned leg-before for 44 and Brook edged to first slip on the charge for just seven before Bairstow, who passed 15,000 first-class runs on Friday, and opener Adam Lyth rode to the rescue.
The pair put on an unbroken 241 as Yorkshire closed on 362 for four, Lyth going to stumps on 138 not out and Bairstow, who took over as White Rose skipper at the start of last season, unbeaten on 116.
James Rew celebrated his England call-up with 86 out of Somerset's 335 for five against Sussex at Taunton, where Ollie Robinson returned respectable figures of 13-5-28-1 following his national team recall.
After his screen test as an opener fell flat last week, Rew returned to the middle order and peeled off six fours and three sixes in a belligerent innings before being caught on the boundary off Tom Haines.
Tom Abell also continued his fine start to the summer with 74 not out, while Tom Lammonby amassed 73 as Somerset, bidding to rebound from back-to-back defeats this month, put themselves in an excellent position.
Josh Tongue was menacing as Hampshire made 152 for six in just 45.3 overs at the Utilita Bowl, but it was Fergus O'Neill who made most of the inroads with four for 32 for county champions Nottinghamshire.
Worcestershire collapsed from 101 for two to 107 for six before reaching 270 all out thanks to Matthew Waite's 77 from number seven against Lancashire at Southport, with the Red Rose ending the day on 28 without loss.
Ben Kellaway's 139 and captain Kiran Carlson's 85 underpinned Glamorgan's 341 for eight against Warwickshire, while Leicestershire made 333 against Essex, who finished day one on 10 for one.
Gloucestershire, who are rock-bottom of Division Two, were bundled out for 154 after Northamptonshire's Ben Sanderson took five for 47 at Bristol, where the visitors responded with 28 for two, while Middlesex were rolled for 177 at Lord's before Derbyshire closed on 106 for four.
England squad for first Test vs New Zealand
Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Fisher (Surrey)
Emilio Gay (Durham)
James Rew (Somerset)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
England vs New Zealand fixtures
- First Test (Thursday June 4 - Monday June 8) - Lord's, London (11am)
- Second Test (Wednesday June 17 - Sunday June 21) - The Kia Oval, London (11am)
- Third Test (Thursday June 25 - Monday June 29) - Trent Bridge, Nottingham (11am)
Watch England's home international summer live on Sky Sports, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand from June 4. Not got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW.
