With only three rounds of first-class matches to go before the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, Daily Mail Sport examines the potential replacements for Crawley at the top of the order...

EXCLUSIVE BY RICHARD GIBSON: Three-time Blast winners Leicestershire have found their replacement for Shan Masood, who went without a 50 in 13 appearances for them last year.

Emilio Gay is emerging as an outsider in the race to become England's new opening batsman with the favourites for the role failing to bash the door down in the County Championship.

Allan Lamb can't shake off his anger - both because of England's performance in Australia and the subsequent decision to stick with the managerial status quo.

As revealed by Daily Mail Sport earlier this week, Patel, 41, has been banned from playing professionally in this country in 2026 after featuring in a 'disapproved' tournament.

Former NZ international Doug Bracewell has been handed a two-year ban from cricket after testing positive for cocaine during an English County Championship match

The 18 first-class counties will lobby for amendments to the ECB's replacements rules after identifying three tweaks they believe will improve the use of substitutes in the County Championship.

Bethell has been unused by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Cook urged the youngster to return to Warwickshire to play county cricket instead of 'sitting on his a*** at the IPL not doing anything'.

It is not quite a year since Sam Cook won his lone Test cap. But as well as being a little older, he is also wiser. Having tried too hard back then, he is more relaxed now. And he wants his England place back.

The former Test skipper isn't taking no for an answer as he tries to get an absolute fortune for his Vaucluse pad.

Did you hear the one about the captain allegedly under investigation for corruption at cricket's World Cup? You probably didn't. And if you did, you may have assumed the story was old. Alas, no.