Zak Crawley has signed a new one-year deal with Kent after losing his England central contract, which will see the club become his primary employer again after six years on the ECB’s books.

After an extended run at the top of the order, Crawley finally lost his Test place at the start of England’s home summer. Along with Lancashire’s Luke Wood, he was one of only two players to lose his deal on performance grounds when the ECB announced a bumper list of 30 central contracts for the 2026-27 cycle this week.

Crawley has signed a series of one-year deals with Kent in recent seasons rather than committing to a long-term contract, which has occasionally fuelled speculation that he would leave. But he has now recommitted to the club until the end of next season, when Kent will return to Division One of the County Championship.

“I’m delighted to sign on for a further year at my boyhood county,” Crawley said in a club statement. “It’s an exciting time as we head back into Division One of the County Championship and I’m looking forward to the challenge of competing for Kent this coming summer.

“It’s great to see so many young players coming through the system here, similar to my journey into first-team cricket, and I’m excited to help them settle into the first team and further their development for the long term.”

Crawley took a short mid-season break from red-ball cricket after a wretched start to the 2026 summer, but found some form towards the end of the season with four half-centuries in six matches as Kent secured promotion. He is also considered a potential future club captain, having led Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year.

“We’re extremely pleased that Zak has extended his contract,” Simon Cook, Kent’s outgoing director of cricket, said. “His experience of playing around the world not only benefits us on the field, but he is always willing to pass on his knowledge to our younger batters, something that will benefit us in the long term.”

Elsewhere, Derbyshire have announced that club captain Wayne Madsen has signed a one-year contract extension for next season’s County Championship. Madsen, 42, announced in July that he would no longer play in the T20 Blast moving forwards, and his new deal only covers red-ball cricket.

Derbyshire finished sixth in Division Two this season, but Madsen said he is targeting promotion next year. “The County Championship is so important to me and I know how much it means to our members and supporters,” he said. “Getting back to Division One is a goal I still have, and I’ll do everything I can to help us achieve it.”