Josh Tongue Named in England's 15-Man Squad for New Zealand

josh tongue was named in England’s 15-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, with the match set to begin on Thursday. England also listed eight frontline bowling options, including Ben Stokes, which leaves the final attack far from settled.

Lord’s Squad Call

Tongue’s inclusion puts him in the group England will use to start the series at Lord’s. He is part of a squad that offers more bowling cover than a settled XI, and that gives the selectors room to decide how much pace they want in the opening Test.

Zak Crawley was replaced by Emilio Gay in the batting order, while Ollie Robinson returned to the England squad. Those two moves sit alongside Tongue’s selection and show that England have not picked a routine combination for the first match of the series.

Robinson and Key

Robinson’s return adds another experienced fast option to a squad already heavy on seam. Rob Key described him as “one of the best bowlers in the world,” a line that places him firmly in the mix rather than on the edge of selection.

England’s Ashes loss in 2023 has left more questions around the home summer, and the bowling balance for New Zealand is part of that. Eight frontline bowling options in a 15-man squad is not a casual spread, especially with Stokes included among them.

England's Bowling Mix

The makeup of the squad points to a decision still to be made on how England want to attack New Zealand at Lord’s. Tongue sits inside that discussion as one of the fast options available for Thursday’s first Test, alongside Robinson and the captain.

For England, the practical impact is simple: more bowlers are in contention than spots available. Tongue now has a place in the group, but the final bowling combination still has to be chosen before the first ball is bowled at Lord’s.