Zak Crawley agrees one-year Kent extension after England central contract not renewed

Zak Crawley has signed a one-year contract extension with Kent to keep him at the county next summer, meaning he will play for Kent for an 11th season, three days after his central contract was not renewed when the England and Wales Cricket Board released its updated list.

The 28-year-old has not played a Test since the final game of last winter's Ashes tour in Sydney and last appeared for England in a one-day international in Sri Lanka in January. His place in the international setup came under scrutiny during last winter's 4-1 Ashes defeat.

In the County Championship this season Crawley played 12 matches for Kent as they won promotion back to Division One, scoring 608 runs with a top score of 89 and compiling four half-centuries.

Since making his debut in 2017 he has made more than 180 appearances in all competitions for his home county. For England he has featured in 64 Tests and nine ODIs.

Reflecting on the club's return to Division One, Crawley said: "It's an exciting time as we head back into Division One of the County Championship and I'm looking forward to the challenge of competing for Kent this coming summer," and added: "It's great to see so many young players coming through the system here, similar to my journey into first-team cricket, and I'm excited to help them settle into the first team and further their development for the long term."

Director of cricket Simon Cook said: "He is an extremely talented batter and is a huge presence in our dressing room," adding: "His experience of playing around the world not only benefits us on the field, but he is always willing to pass on his knowledge to our younger batters, something that will benefit us in the long term."

The club's coverage also included items titled Kent players 'deserve all credit' for promotion and Heads of cricket Cook and Arman leave Kent roles. The one-year extension secures Crawley's availability for Kent's campaign next summer.