England v Australia first Ashes Test at Edgbaston: Kent opener Zak Crawley retains place

Zak Crawley has been named in England’s side for the first Test of this summer’s Ashes.

The Kent opener was part of a 16-man squad and England captain Ben Stokes has taken the unusual step of naming his side two days before the Test, which gets under way at Edgbaston on Friday.

Crawley, 25, has played 34 times for England since making his debut in New Zealand in November 2019. He’s played all 13 Test matches since Stokes took over the captaincy against New Zealand in June 2022.

He opened alongside Ben Duckett in the Test against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this month, making 56 in just 45 balls and 12 not out during the 10-wicket win.

Crawley has played three Test matches against Australia previously, with a top score of 77 in Sydney in January 2022. His average against the Aussies is 27.67, compared to his overall Test average of 28.26.

He’s played six County Championship matches for Kent at the start of the season, scoring 403 runs at an average of 36.63. His top score of 170 came against Essex at Canterbury.

England team v Australia: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jonathan Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson.