6 County players who have given England's selectors a nudge

With England facing a busy summer, places are up for grabs in Joe Root’s side
England head coach Chris Silverwood and ex England bowler Geoff Arnold, with Jofra Archer, during the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Sussex and Yorkshire.England head coach Chris Silverwood and ex England bowler Geoff Arnold, with Jofra Archer, during the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Sussex and Yorkshire.
England head coach Chris Silverwood and ex England bowler Geoff Arnold, with Jofra Archer, during the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Sussex and Yorkshire.

The first three rounds of the LV= Insurance County Championship have thrown up exciting cricket, intriguing results and some standout individual performances.

Here, we look at six players whose performances might have piqued the interest of England head coach Chris Silverwood.

Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)

Haseeb Hameed hit back-to-back centuries against Worcestershire this weekHaseeb Hameed hit back-to-back centuries against Worcestershire this week
Haseeb Hameed hit back-to-back centuries against Worcestershire this week
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Almost five years on from his youthful dalliance with Test cricket, the opening batsman continues to capture the imagination of the cricketing public. After a few lean years, he hit back-to-back centuries against Worcestershire this week, dismissed just once in over 13 hours at the crease and breaking the championship record for balls faced in a single match. England will be keeping tabs.

James Bracey (Gloucestershire)

Adam Lyth's prolific start to the season makes him the top English run-scorer so far, but at 33 a second chance at Test cricket could be a long shot. Bracey is a decade younger and, after spending much of the last year as a reserve player in the England bubble, feels like the next cab off the rank. He needed county runs to confirm that impression and has already managed 343 of them at an average of 68.60.

Matt Critchley (Derbyshire)

James Bracey, of Gloucestershire, celebrates after reaching their half century during Day Four of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Somerset.James Bracey, of Gloucestershire, celebrates after reaching their half century during Day Four of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Somerset.
James Bracey, of Gloucestershire, celebrates after reaching their half century during Day Four of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Somerset.

Second only to South Africa-born David Bedingham on the Professional Cricketers' Association 'MVP' rankings, the 24-year-old is drawing plenty of attention to himself. With a century and four fifties he has been churning out handy scores as well as topping his county's wicket charts with 13 at 28.30. As a leg-spinning genuine all-rounder, the 24-year-old is a rare breed and one who will garner plenty of interest if he can maintain form in both disciplines.

Matt Parkinson (Lancashire)

The likeable leggie spent the best part of three months on England tours this winter without getting his chance and was left out of Lancashire's opening fixture. He has since taken 15 scalps in two matches, including a social-media sensation that turned prodigiously to bowl Adam Rossington, and turned match-winner on Sunday with a career-best haul of seven second-innings wickets against Kent.

Ollie Robinson (Sussex)

Lancashire leg spinner Matt Parkinson took a career-best haul of seven second-innings wickets against Kent.Lancashire leg spinner Matt Parkinson took a career-best haul of seven second-innings wickets against Kent.
Lancashire leg spinner Matt Parkinson took a career-best haul of seven second-innings wickets against Kent.
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A brilliantly consistent wicket-taker over the past three seasons, Robinson has been within touching distance of a Test call for months. England like what they see from the strong, persistent seamer and he continues to produce the figures to back it up. His nine for 78 against Glamorgan might already be a season's best in the competition and he is already clear of the field as top wicket-taker with 20 at 14.35.

Craig Overton (Somerset)

With Ben Stokes out injured, is there room now for an all-rounder to stake a claim. Overton has been on the fringes for a number of years, and the last of his England caps came in the 2019 Ashes series. A strong start to the county campaign has seen him take 17 wickets at 15.94, and while his batting has yet to fire, with a highest score of 54 in five innings, he is capable of making bigger scores and adding depth to England’s lower order.