England test cricket: Ben Stokes’ side could face New Zealand after latest Ashes defeat on the road | Cricket news

Changes will happen when England take to the field as a Test team for the first time since the disappointing Ashes series this winter, but how can it come?

New Zealand will face the three-match series, starting at Lord’s on Thursday 4 June.

Will England still be managed and coached by Rob Key and Brendon McCullum respectively then or will there be new faces in charge in the summer?

Here we try to predict who could be the Home of Cricket when they face the Black Caps and who they could find themselves on the outside looking in on.

Openers: stick or twist?

In short, one of them is the answer to the above question.

Neither Zak Crawley nor Ben Duckett have covered themselves in glory Down Under for England.

Duckett failed to pass 42 in his 10 innings against Australia but Crawley registered two half-centuries. He did start the series with ducks as Mitchell Starc took him out twice in his first over in Perth, so both could be lucky to find another way.

While Crawley maintains his position with a takedown, Duckett misses. In his place comes Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe.

Tribe, 21, has been turning heads in recent months with his runs first for Glamorgan to help them rise to Division One of the County Championship, then for the England Lions as he hit 129 not out against Australia A in Brisbane. He is currently showing versatility at shortstop playing as a starter for Paarl Royals in the SA20.

The games in South Africa caught the attention of Kevin Pietersen who was the captain of England who has anointed him as one of the future.

The Jersey-born Tribe has already made 31 appearances for the Channel Islanders, but is determined to play for England for the long term.

Other possible front-runners to push for selection include Durham’s Ben McKinney and Sussex’s Tom Haines, both of whom have featured for the England Lions this winter.

Top and middle order: New or continuous selection?

Only injury or illness will prevent Jacob Bethell from retaining his place as England Test No 3 after his maiden first-class century came off the biggest stage in the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney.

But is it the same line and face in Nos 4 and 5 that accompanied him to the SCG earlier this month?

Joe Root is a lock. The former captain is now less than 2,000 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar in his quest to become the all-time leading Test run-scorer. After two centuries in Australia and six more Tests at home this coming summer, it should provide a chance to put a big dent in that deficit.

Harry Brook, currently England’s vice-captain, should retain his place at number 5. But, it has been a winter perhaps louder off the field than for the Yorkshireman. More tensions with the limited overs series in Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup are yet to come before June and early summer could mark the time for Brook to take a break.

More about his potential fill-in.

Then comes No 6, the current position of captain Ben Stokes. As it is, he continues to be posted and as the leader of the side he seems determined to take it to its next chapter.

Are there any possible replacements for Brook and Stokes? However, a few names below could be contenders.

Wicketkeeper: A new dawn?

Jamie Smith has an Ashes series to forget.

Along with Ollie Pope, he is undoubtedly the one under pressure for his Test future going into next summer.

At the end of the tour, Smith looked like a player who needed time out of the game after a difficult time with the bat and gloves on them.

After his exit from England’s white-ball squads, he looks set to move on to the red ball, at least for the foreseeable future.

So who will take off the gloves? James Rew has strong numbers behind him after a good performance in the County Championship for Somerset and being a key part of the Lions.

The 22-year-old was brought in as cover last summer ahead of the one Test against Zimbabwe after some impressive performances for Somerset. Another thing that could work for him if some of the middle-order spots become vacant, is his experience hitting multiple positions.

While you’re on the subject of the Rew family, watch out for his younger brother Thomas. Many say the 18-year-old could be more dangerous than James. He will be leading England U19s in the World Cup this month in Zimbabwe, live on Sky Sports.

Another possible way for Smith to return would be for him to bat in the middle order, which is how he got himself into the Test selection frame due to his weight of runs for Surrey.

And speaking of Surrey – if England wish to return to the country’s best player, look no further than the return of Ben Foakes.

Bowlers: Spin the wheel of change

It is time for England to fix their problem with spin.

Shoaib Bashir has been left out in the cold in Australia and will be looking to revive his hopes in new county Derbyshire next season. Will Jacks is a good cricketer, but not as a No 8 who can bowl useful off-spin. England have been left out of a potentially game-changing match on unresponsive pitches throughout the Ashes.

Now would be Rehan Ahmed’s best chance to nail the role. Not only because he is the best leg-spinner in the country, but he can also hit high.

The way he played for Leicestershire last season showed his ability to score where he scored five big points in the County Championship.

So that just leaves places up for grabs in the seam bowling department.

England started the Ashes series with six fast bowlers (seven including Stokes) in their team. Brydon Carse was successful in all five Tests, Josh Tongue was successful when he got the third Test and Matthew Potts was very rusty when he was finally selected for the fifth Test.

Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer missed the series due to injury. Atkinson has found it difficult to fit into the competition having taken six wickets in three Tests and Stuart Broad said the Surrey seamer needed to “work on his body language” after a hamstring strain ended his tour prematurely.

Basically, the three spots could go to any number of pitchers who could throw their way early in the season, but Carse, Ulimi and the return of Sam Cook could be a great punt.

Cook was handed his lone cap against Zimbabwe last summer and although he only took one wicket, he has proven track record in county cricket to be given another chance.

Along with Essex batsman Surrey’s Matthew Fisher, who came into the Ashes squad when Mark Wood was ruled out, Leicestershire’s Josh Hull who has a Test cap to his name, and Olly Stone, Eddie Jack and Sonny Baker should be among those on the selectors’ radar if they are fit and firing.

England men’s home Test matches in 2026

Three-Test series vs New Zealand:

• First Test (Thursday June 4 – Monday June 8) – Lord’s, London (11am)
• Second Test (Wednesday June 17 – Sunday June 21) – Kia Oval, London (11am)
• Test Three (Thursday June 25 – Monday June 29) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (11am)

Three Test Series vs Pakistan:

• First Test (Wednesday August 19 – Sunday August 23) – Headingley, Leeds (11am)
• Second Test (Thursday August 27 – Monday August 31) – Lord’s, London (11am)
• Test Three (Wednesday September 9 – Sunday September 13) – Edgbaston, Birmingham (11am)