Eyes will be firmly fixed on England's Test side this summer after a disappointing Ashes campaign led to scathing criticism of both preparation and performance.
Brendon McCullum and his men headed down under with genuine hopes of returning with the urn, however, a number of embarrassing issues, both off and on the pitch, culminated in a desperate 4-1 defeat.
Heading into the summer, England will be keen to address problem areas in a multitude of areas; none more pressing than the opening partnership.
Zak Crawley's poor form has continued, averaging 19.66 across his three County Championship matches so far this season and the Kent batter now looks certain to be dropped from the Test side.
His partner Ben Duckett looks set to retain his place at the top of the order after a solid start to the campaign, but who will he be joined by when he walks out to face a New Zealand attack at Lord's on 4th June?
We assess some of the options available to McCullum & Co...
James Rew
To coin a phrase from golf - something that many England players should be well versed in now - James Rew might just be the clubhouse leader after the early County Championship action.
The 22-year-old has continued his fine progress with Somerset, scoring 379 runs at an average of 75.
Rew was a revelation for his county last season and only looks like improving on the standard he set throughout 2025. However, despite being touted for an opening spot for his country, Rew doesn't actually face the new ball for Somerset, instead scoring the majority of his runs at number four.
There are currently no obvious technical flaws that would prohibit Rew from performing well as an opener, but this lack of experience does have to be a concern.
Emilio Gay
Quite like Somerset and Rew, the powers that be at Durham have opted not to pick Emilio Gay as an opener, instead siding with Ben McKinney (we'll get to him) and Alex Lees doing a more than fine job up top.
Gay slots in just behind the openers at three and has seen his credentials enhanced over recent weeks.
The former Northamptonshire man fired in a brilliant 159 not out against Lancashire - already his second century of the campaign - in the process, repelling a dangerous attack that included Sir James Anderson and Lions seamer Mitchell Stanley.
Ben McKinney
Gay's Durham teammate McKinney has also made a rather bright start to the season, demonstrated in full effect by his brilliant double-ton against Gloucestershire.
Another youngster at just 21, McKinney has been billed as a future England prospect since his late teens and, at one point during his debut first-class season, looked as if he might get a go under McCullum's abstract selection policy.
However, the following summer was a little more tricky for McKinney, averaging just 31.38 as Durham suffered relegation from Division One.
The early signs are positive this season though and there might be no better place than Durham to score your runs given that England skipper Ben Stokes plays his domestic cricket at Chester-le-Street.
Asa Tribe
Jersey-born Asa Tribe's rapid rise to prominence has been a fascinating story within English cricket over the last 12 months.
The 22-year-old relatively unheard of heading into last summer with just a handful of first-class appearances to his name, however, he certainly grabbed his chance, scoring his maiden County Championship century against Leicestershire at Grade Road in June.
Three successive One-Day Cup centuries followed, making him one of the most talked about names in the county game and the century he bagged whilst on tour in Australia with the England Lions will have done no harm to his case.
Tribe is yet to reach three-figures yet this year, but it's surely only a matter of time.
