Run machines audition for England in the backdrop of opening nadir

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England spent much of the 2010s searching for an opening batter to cement their spot alongside Sir Alastair Cook. They could not, and things became even trickier when the Chef himself retired in 2018. Hope rested on the shoulders of Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed and Dom Sibley as the Covid-19 pandemic came and went, but none were able to establish themselves in Test cricket, let alone become the dominant force at the top of the order that the ECB were hoping for.

By the time Brendon McCullum, Rob Key and Ben Stokes were appointed as England’s head coach, director of cricket and captain respectively in 2022, all three batters had been dismissed, with England looking to revitalise the set-up. They had instead settled on county veteran Alex Lees, who had debuted during England’s liminal tour of the Caribbean a few months prior, and Zak Crawley, who averaged a modest 28 from his 21 appearances.

Despite the Kent batter’s difficult summer, it was Lees who Ben Duckett replaced for the winter tours, creating an almost comical opening duo. Crawley, a towering 6’7, front-foot powerhouse, combined with the whippy 5’7 Duckett, who leaves less than 2% of deliveries in Tests. But perhaps the contrast was the secret to their success. For a few years, the partnership blossomed. As of last summer, they averaged 45 as an opening pair, more than Cook and Andrew Strauss, the benchmark of success for England’s modern era.

But as is the way in life, all good things must come to an end. Crawley has spent over half a decade in the set-up, but averages just a tick over 31. After a challenging winter in Australia, which the brains trust identified as a watershed tour for him, his place in the side now looks untenable.

There are several directions England could take: a full reassessment of Bazball following a poor show Down Under, or a like-for-like replacement at the top of the order. Since 2022, England’s selection policy under Key, McCullum and Stokes has generally been to pick the seven batters they believe are best in the country and fit them into the eleven. 

The clearest examples are Ollie Pope and Duckett, who forced his way into the Test side in 2022 after averaging over 70 for Nottinghamshire, albeit from number three. Similarly, Pope averaged over sixty in first-class cricket, but made the jump to three for England, before ever batting at one drop for Surrey.

Similarly, Dan Lawrence and Jamie Smith commenced their Test careers in spots they didn’t occupy at the domestic level: Lawrence as an opening batter and Smith taking the gloves. No player better embodies this versatile approach than Somerset’s James Rew.

At just 22 years old, Rew has already scored 12 first-class hundreds and is firmly knocking on the door. He’s scored over 1,000 runs in two of the last three seasons and has started this summer brilliantly. Four games in, he’s averaging over 55 with the bat, and Somerset’s sole defeat came in the one game he failed to perform in.

Rew is a classical, free-flowing batter who can attack bowlers all around the ground. His hundred in the opening round of the season showed that he was equally capable of clipping pacers off his hip as he was of driving them through the covers. Aimed at unsettling the spinner, his sweeps run the gamut, from flat to slog to reverse. The keeper-bat has been involved with England Lions on several occasions and was called into the Test squad last summer as reserve gloveman.

However, questions remain over Rew, most notably that he does not open in first-class cricket. In the past, that has not deterred England, as seen with Duckett and Lawrence, but with a greater emphasis on being “ruthless”, as Key put it, the dearth of mileage upfront could count against him. It is important to note that he has not been promoted to open at Somerset this summer, despite the only vacancy being at the top of the order.

Rew has not lacked opportunity either. Somerset have used Jack Leach as a makeshift opener to cover injuries rather than promote him, although some would argue that with Rew also keeping wicket, it may not be a straightforward switch. Another concern is his lukewarm returns against higher-level opposition. He averages just 17 for the England Lions from seven appearances and under 20 in four matches against Surrey, the benchmark side in recent years, including three dismissals by Gus Atkinson.

England’s other method for squad selection since 2022 has been based on talent identification and selecting players they believe have the potential to succeed in Test cricket. Jacob Bethell, who has only ever scored professional hundreds on the international stage, is the grandest success story of this fastracking maxim. 

If England continue to be guided by that north star, Ben McKinney would likely be the leading candidate. He is a 6’7, 21-year-old who recently scored a mammoth 244 in the County championship and has an impressive record for the England Lions. The youngster scored a run-a-ball 110 against Australia A during the Lions’ tour in 2024/25, as well as scoring 94 earlier in the trip. This winter, he filed in sixties against England’s first XI. McKinney is cut from a similar cloth to Crawley: a tall, front-footed, aggressive batter who uses his natural power to dominate bowlers. One of Bazball’s features had been the establishment of a strong opening partnership that hunted in tandem, and McKinney’s similarities to Crawley would make him a near-perfect foil for Duckett.

However, the raw numbers to back up his undisputed talent are missing. He might have become Durham’s youngest ever double-centurion last month, but he averages 36.8 in first-class cricket. This statistic rings the alarm bells when you consider that the double ton is inflating that figure, with his average previously sitting just above 30. Despite the consistency issue, there seems to be little worry about his temperament and ability to cope with the pressure of international cricket. He is often described as blissfully unbothered, with teammates suggesting he could sleep standing up if required.

Asa Tribe is another potential bolter, who could be in the running with McKinney and Rew if England opt for youthful exuberance. He combines elements of both profiles, is 22 years old and actually boasts a better first-class average than either of his two competitors. He batted in Glamorgan’s middle-order last summer, but unlike Rew, he has peeled off a couple of fifties facing the mint-conditioned cherry this season.

He also crafted a spectacular 129* for the Lions over the winter and has already featured in international cricket, playing a major part in Jersey’s bid to reach the T20 World Cup. Unfortunately for Tribe, his form this season hasn’t been quite as electric as his two counterparts, so he will be pipped to the post of England’s opening berth, but don’t be surprised to see him involved in the future.

The final chief contender is the man with the second-most runs in the County Championship this year, at the third-best average: Emilio Gay. Akin to the other frontrunners, Gay was part of the Lions tour to Australia over the winter, making 78 against a Cricket Australia XI before injury cut his trip short. He also scored 71 against India A last summer. Gay has enjoyed a purple patch since 2024, averaging over 50 in first-class cricket and scoring nine centuries. After averaging 57 for Northamptonshire in 2024, he moved to Durham for the final two matches of the season and has extended that rich vein of form, averaging over 50 at his new county.

This summer, he has taken his game to the next level, scoring three tons in four matches, with the differing conditions rendering his efforts all the more special. His first ton came against Kent on the opening day of the season on a tricky pitch in Chester-le-Street; his second transpired in the fourth innings against Jimmy Anderson’s Lancashire to help seal an arduous run chase, and his third was delivered gleefully on a flat pitch at Lord’s, his first professional match at the Home of Cricket.

The variety of those marathon knocks highlights his ability to shift gears, digging in when needed before accelerating as the pitch begins to behave neutrally. At the age of 26, Gay is entering his prime years as a batter. He is young enough to be part of England’s plans for years to come but mature enough to understand his game inside out and handle the demands of Test cricket. While some may point to the asterisk of Gay not opening in the Championship this season, like Rew, he is an opener by trade. He is technically compact and has the look of an old-school top-order batter who thrives square of the wicket, yet possessing modern flair to put pressure back on the bowler too.

Many pundits spent the winter calling for the likes of Dom Sibley and Haseeb Hameed, the two leading run-scorers last summer, but it would seem unlikely that England will make such a significant change to their ideology, especially when you consider Key and McCullum’s eye for wunderkinds. 

Since England’s devastating Ashes, Key has stressed a desire to “work together” with the Counties, though it is notable that the premier aspirants have featured in England Lions squads in recent years and were earmarked by the set-up as potential future stars.

Whichever direction England lean towards will say plenty about the roadmap England follow from hereon. The selection of McKinney would represent a further commitment to hunches on potential and attributes. Alternatively, the original Bazball theme of selecting the best seven batters would get Rew the panel’s vote. Neither, however, would fully convince fans or pundits that lessons have been learned from the Ashes.

For this mental transition to take place, it might require a more comprehensive willow-wielder like Gay. He fits the mould of a top-order batter in form, in his prime, and with a strong domestic record behind him. It is a different kind of selection to the extremes of either philosophy, and perhaps points towards a more balanced way forward. Whichever route England take, the decision will offer a clear indication of whether the identity of this side is genuinely evolving.

2 thoughts on “Run machines audition for England in the backdrop of opening nadir”

  1. Nikunj Pathak says:
    May 9, 2026 at 5:09 pm

    In my opinion, Emilio Gay looks like the stronger option right now. One of the biggest reasons is his mature understanding of the game, which you highlighted really well. His trigger movement — going back foot first and then forward — gives him excellent balance and control while playing shots. That technique helps him handle both the wide deliveries outside off stump and fuller balls on the leg side with a very stable setup. It’s probably one of the key reasons behind his strong performances on the Australia tour.

    James Rew, on the other hand, has a wider front-foot stance, which naturally makes him very effective as a sweep player and potentially a strong batter against spin, especially leg-spin. Recently, he seems to have improved his shot selection by judging the ball better before attacking. Earlier, during the U19 games against Sri Lanka, he was playing in a far more aggressive and dominating style. One shot of his that really stands out is the reverse sweep — he times it beautifully, and his strong back-foot positioning combined with the front-foot stability gives him excellent control.

    Overall, both players have qualities that could suit different conditions. Gay appears more suited for SENA conditions, while Rew could thrive more on Asian pitches. England should ideally manage the transition gradually from players like Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett. If handled patiently, especially before the Ashes, it could pay huge dividends. Otherwise, Bazball risks becoming just an entertaining short-term story rather than a long-lasting legacy.

    Reply
    1. Toby Reynolds says:
      May 11, 2026 at 11:01 am

      Yes I agree. I think Gay is the better option right now. But I’d also be surprised if Rew doesn’t have a long and illustrious England career at some point in the future. My one worry for Gay’s technique, which I didn’t mention, is that his front foot gets quite a long way across to the leg side, so if he struggles, he could get closed off. But all in all, I think he is a great prospect.
      On your other point about Bazball, I don’t think they’ll look to move on from Duckett any time soon. He has a fabulous Test record and just last summer, was being talked about as one of the best all format players in the world. As much as he struggled in Australia, he’ll have the whole of this summer and probably the start of the winter no matte how bad his summer is. Pope on the other hand, is definitely gone, with Bethell taking his spot at no 3.

      Reply

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