England’s Ollie Robinson. (Reuters Photo)
The ECB has awarded first-time England Development contracts to James Coles, Mason Crane, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, Thomas Rew and Matthew Revis. Crane’s selection comes in the same week that he is set to join an England squad for the first time in more than eight years, marking a significant step in his return to the international setup.
England have expanded their central contract list for the 2026/27 season, rewarding seven players with their first full contracts while handing fast bowler Ollie Robinson a return to the list as part of a wider reshuffle of the country’s international cricket structure. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed 30 central contracts alongside nine England Development contracts, underlining its efforts to strengthen the player pool across formats. The expanded arrangements mark a change from the 2025/26 season, when the ECB’s overall contracted-player list featured 30 players. At just 18, Rew is the youngest player on the development list. The wicketkeeper-batter captained the Young Lions to the final of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.
Josh Hull, Eddie Jack and Mitchell Stanley complete the nine-player development group alongside the six newcomers.