Root and Crawley Shine as England Stars Boost Form in County Championship

It was a promising day for England’s Test hopes as Joe Root and Zak Crawley found form during day two of the County Championship, helping their sides recover from tricky situations while giving selectors a timely reminder of their class.

At Headingley, Joe Root crafted a fluent 90 for Yorkshire, earning a standing ovation from the home crowd. After a scratchy performance on Friday, Root’s knock against Warwickshire was a return to vintage form, filled with elegant strokes and control. He was eventually dismissed as Ethan Bamber’s eighth wicket of the match—Bamber continuing his dream run following a winter transfer from Middlesex.

Meanwhile, over at Lord’s, Zak Crawley registered his third consecutive second-innings half-century. Dropped early on three, Crawley rebuilt steadily and mixed discipline with his signature drives. He fell lbw to Dane Paterson for the second time in the game, but not before helping Kent narrow the deficit. Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond anchored the innings with a resilient unbeaten 103—his first red-ball hundred in over a year—as Kent ended the day with a lead of 117. Earlier, Middlesex’s innings had unraveled, losing their last six wickets for just 61 runs, despite another gritty fifty from Ryan Higgins.

Elsewhere, Jordan Cox impressed with a rapid unbeaten 61 at Taunton, putting Essex in a commanding position over Somerset. The hosts suffered one of their infamous collapses, losing nine wickets for just 99 runs. Veteran spinner Simon Harmer filled in seamlessly for the injured Jack Leach, bagging four wickets from the River End. Migael Pretorius, batting at No. 10, was Somerset’s second-highest scorer with a lively 24.

At Old Trafford, the weather remained bleak but Lancashire had reasons to cheer. Marcus Harris added only a couple of runs to his overnight 165 before being bowled by Ajeet Singh Dale, but Lancashire’s lower order pushed the total to 450—more batting points than they’d earned across their last three matches. Tom Price wrapped up the innings with two wickets in two balls, and Gloucestershire responded confidently, with Ollie Price and Myles Hammond compiling an unbeaten century partnership.

Down in Southampton, Durham’s Graham Clark, a last-minute inclusion due to an injury to Ben McKinney, made the most of his opportunity by striking a career-best 160. He eventually fell to a sharp caught-and-bowled effort from Hampshire’s Liam Dawson, who finished with five wickets. Mark Stoneman steadied the Hampshire reply with a gritty 54 not out.

Glamorgan dominated proceedings against Derbyshire, piling on 400 runs before reducing their opponents to 215 for 7, with Andy Gorvin grabbing four wickets. At Grace Road, the day swung wildly as Northants were bowled out for 191, thanks to Logan van Beek’s four-for. But Leicestershire crumbled in reply, with Ben Sanderson—returning from injury—slicing through the top order to dismantle any early momentum.

From comeback centuries to fiery spells, day two delivered a blend of grit, flair, and opportunity—a reminder that England’s red-ball future may still have a solid foundation.