England opener Zak Crawley found himself facing yet another setback in the 2025 Rothesay County Championship. The pressure was on as he took guard for Kent on the first day of the new season, only to be dismissed for a measly one run. His innings came to an abrupt end after just seven balls when he misjudged a delivery from left-arm seamer Liam Guthrie, who got the better of him with a swinging ball.
Pressure Mounts on Crawley
Crawley’s disappointing performance extended his streak of below-par outings, raising concerns about his form and ability to deliver solid performances. With 15 Tests under his belt without reaching the coveted century mark, the spotlight is undeniably on the 27-year-old batsman. His struggles continued during the winter Test tour in New Zealand where he averaged a mere 8.66 across six innings and later faced further disappointment with five single-digit scores while playing for Eastern Cape in January.
As Northamptonshire successfully bowled out Kent for 231 runs on day one, with Raphael Weatherall claiming three crucial wickets, Tawanda Muyeye emerged as Kent’s top scorer with a resilient knock of 72 runs. Meanwhile, in Division One action, Yorkshire’s return to the top flight didn’t go as planned as they were bundled out for just 121 runs by Hampshire.
Bairstow Battles Amidst Collapse
Former England batter Jonny Bairstow, now leading Yorkshire, faced his fair share of challenges managing only 10 runs against Hampshire’s fierce bowling attack led by spinner Liam Dawson. Despite Bairstow’s efforts, Dawson wreaked havoc by taking three quick wickets for just eight runs in less than five overs.
The county cricket scene witnessed some stellar performances as Essex batter Jordan Cox showcased his prowess with a remarkable century against defending champions Surrey at Chelmsford. Cox’s explosive innings of 117 off 148 balls overshadowed Paul Walter’s valiant effort of scoring 95 runs. On the bowling front, Durham’s Colin Ackermann stole the show on his birthday with a brilliant century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
Somerset’s Kasey Aldridge shone bright with five crucial wickets against Worcestershire while Tom Banton steadied Somerset’s ship with an unbeaten knock of 84 runs after initial hiccups. Sussex staged an impressive recovery against Warwickshire thanks to centuries from Tom Clark and John Simpson that propelled them to a commanding total of 386-5 after an early collapse.
In Division Two action Derbyshire dominated Gloucestershire courtesy of Luis Reece’s excellent bowling spell that yielded six wickets and Anuj Dal’s four-wicket haul which restricted Gloucestershire to just 222 runs before Derbyshire made steady progress towards their target. Leicestershire asserted their dominance over Glamorgan by restricting them to a modest total before embarking on their own batting journey led by Ian Holland and Ben Mike.
Lancashire exhibited strength in bouncing back from relegation troubles by dismissing Middlesex for a moderate score before setting up their own solid reply without losing any wickets upfront despite missing star pacer James Anderson due to injury.
The county cricket season promises exciting encounters ahead as teams gear up for intense battles across divisions amidst individual quests for glory and redemption.
