Crawley keeps England spot

Kent batsman Zak Crawley has kept his place in England’s Test squad to face New Zealand despite a slow start to the summer.

Crawley has been picked in the first squad selected since former Kent captain Rob Key was appointed as England’s new managing director last month. New skipper Ben Stokes and new Test coach Brendon Mccullum also helped pick the 13-man squad. Kent opener Crawley averages just 19.50 in the County Championship this summer. He has one half-century to his name, against Lancashire, and has scored 156 runs in eight innings.

He already has 21 Test caps, averaging 28.60 with two hundreds to his name.

The squad for the first two Tests will come together for the first time next week before reporting to Lord’s on May 29, ahead of the first Test on June 2 against the world champions. Key said: “This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben and Brendon.

“With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month’s Test series.” Yorkshire batsman Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are called up for the first time.

Brook has been one of the standout batsmen in Division 1 of the County Championship, scoring 758 runs at an average of 151.60, which includes three centuries and four halfcenturies.

Potts, 23, has also been in impressive form. He is the season’s leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of 7-40 in Durham’s win over Glamorgan.

The experienced duo of Lancashire’s James Anderson and Nottinghamshire’s Stuart Broad return to the squad.