County players' England recognition brilliant - Farbrace

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace says realigning England selection with form in county cricket will highlight the talent being developed by "non-Hundred" clubs.

The England management held talks with their counterparts in the domestic game before the new season in a bid to reset relations.

Since then, Sussex captain Ollie Robinson has been recalled to the Test squad after a good start to the new campaign, and uncapped team-mate Henry Crocombe has been named in the England Lions squad.

"That is the crux of county cricket," Farbrace said. "The sooner the counties and the England team are more aligned than they have been, the better."

Robinson, whose last England appearance came against India in February 2024, was rewarded with a call-up for next month's first Test against New Zealand after taking 17 wickets in the first five County Championship matches.

The 32-year-old was not the only beneficiary of a re-established link between performances in the county game and England selection.

The uncapped trio of Durham opener Emilio Gay, Somerset batter James Rew and Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker were all named in the Test squad, which was the first involving new national selector Marcus North, who had been director of cricket at Durham.

"That's what, in my view, county cricket is about," former England assistant head coach Farbrace told BBC Radio Sussex.

"I know some counties don't like having players selected for the Lions or for England, and they talk about 'losing them'. I think it's absolutely brilliant, because it shows the hard work that our coaching staff are doing.

"You want people to play at the highest level. I want [James] Coles, [Tom] Haines and [Jack] Carson to be talked about playing for England as well."

Farbrace had previously claimed that England head coach Brendon McCullum had "no interest" in the county game, but is now pleased to see players from the circuit breaking through.

"I'm delighted there's now a county group of coaches and directors of cricket and there's starting to be a lot more conversations," Farbrace added.

"Us non-Hundred clubs are quite capable of producing players to play for England. Sussex has a fantastic reputation over the last few years of producing some seriously good cricketers."

One such player is Eastbourne-born seamer Crocombe, 24, who has taken 19 wickets this season and is in the Lions squad to take on South Africa A in two four-day matches later this month.

"He's been excellent for us for about the last 15 months," Farbrace said.

"[Sussex bowling coach] James Kirtley's done some great work with him, with a bit of help from [former England bowling coach] Ottis Gibson, up at Scarborough the year before last.

"Henry is a young man who's keen to learn. I keep saying he's like the family labrador, he chases the ball all day long and runs in hard every single day for you.

"He's one of those lads that you want to see do well and we're absolutely delighted that he's been selected."