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County Cricket 2025
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Raymondo
Central Defender
Sam Northeast appears set to return to boyhood club Kent at the end of the season eight years after leaving to further his international ambitions.
Glamorgan captain Northeast’s current contract runs out in October, when he turns 36, and Kent are keen to take back one of the most prolific batsmen on the county circuit.
Originally quitting Canterbury to move to Hampshire in the belief that it would act as a catalyst for England selection, he has actually hit his top form since relocating to Cardiff ahead of the 2022 season, averaging 46 in 50 first-class matches - six runs above his career mark.
Mail Sport understands the pursuit of Northeast by Kent, the County Championship’s bottom side at the competition’s halfway point, coincides with a substantial offer from Essex to Ben Compton, one of a raft of players in the final months of deals free to talk to rival counties from June 1.
Compton, grandson of the great Denis Compton, is the leading English-qualified run scorer in the 2025 Championship with 823 including four hundreds.
The 31-year-old was a late developer, but surged beyond the 1,000-run barrier in his breakthrough season of 2022 and has established himself as one of the most reliable opening batsmen in the country.
Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast set to return to boyhood club Kent at the end of the season
Kent's pursuit of Northeast comes with Essex having made a substantial offer to Ben Compton
Josh de Caires, son of ex-England captain Michael Atherton, is also of interest to Essex
Josh de Caires, son of ex-England captain Michael Atherton, is another player understood to be interesting Essex as well as Atherton’s former club Lancashire. De Caires, 23, was overlooked by Middlesex during the first half of the Division Two season, but was recalled for this week’s trip to Northamptonshire and responded with a career-best 87 in the second innings.
It is not a particularly big summer in terms of major switches, but the two centrally-contracted England players whose county deals are expiring soon face a contrasting few weeks.
As recently revealed by Mail Sport, a dozen clubs have been in contact with Test spinner Shoaib Bashir with regards to a new home from 2026 onwards.
Warwickshire have now emerged as frontrunners to take on the Somerset man - with Essex, Lancashire and Leicestershire offering potential alternative destinations - after they secured their No 1 target Jordan Thompson, the Yorkshire all-rounder on a lucrative three-year contract.
The return of slow left-armer Danny Briggs to Sussex, confirmed earlier this month, means Warwickshire have a vacancy for the role of senior spinner. In the short term, they have recruited Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, but are in the market for a longer-term solution and Bashir’s future should be decided by the end of July.
Meanwhile, talks between Jonny Bairstow and Yorkshire have been placed on hold until later in the season following initial discussions earlier this month.
The 35-year-old was appointed club captain on the eve of this season, but what kind of contract if any is offered by Yorkshire will depend on his intentions once the ECB stop paying his wages this autumn.
Bairstow may even consider going freelance towards the end of his career after his eye-catching performances as a replacement player for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League opened up potential opportunities on the global franchise circuit.
Warwickshire are frontrunners for England spinner Shoaib Bashir when his Somerset deal ends
Talks between Yorkshire and captain Jonny Bairstow are on hold and he may go freelance
Yorkshire’s cricket manager Gavin Hamilton has made clear the club want one of their best ever players to continue his career with them, but is realistic enough to know a permanent gig with Mumbai at next year’s IPL could be in the offing as well as offers to play for other MI off-shoots around the world.
Bairstow has already agreed a deal to play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on the back of Yorkshire’s Hundred sell off to the Sunrisers group and how much he is available from next year is likely to be dictated by the fullness of his diary.
Yorkshire have handed a new deal to Will Luxton, their ex-England Under-19 batter, but Jonny Tattersall, who captained the team during the business end of 2024’s Championship promotion, is yet to agree fresh terms and appears set to quit Headingley.
Surrey swooped for Yorkshire seamer Matt Fisher 12 months ago but insiders at the Oval suggest there are no imminent plans to make additions for 2026. Rather than sign a fast bowler from elsewhere, they are likelier to integrate Alex French, a 6ft 6ins academy player, into their first-team squad.
Similarly, Hampshire are keen to develop what young talent they have in their pace stocks and are increasingly hopeful of keeping England white-ball international John Turner, who spent time on loan at Lancashire earlier this season and was considering his options.
Lancashire were understood to be in pole position to sign exciting paceman Ajeet Singh Dale when Dale Benkenstein, his former Gloucestershire coach, was in charge at Emirates Old Trafford, but there is serious competition around the shires for the signatures of both Dale and his county colleague Zaman Akhter while another emerging new-ball operator Nathan Gilchrist looks certain to leave Kent along with sought-after batsman Tawanda Muyeye.
Turner the Cat
Midfield
Part way through day 1 and it already looks suspiciously like another tyical Kookaburra round of games could be on the cards
Turner the Cat
Midfield
Only 1 team bowled out today across 9 games and no disruption due to the weather.
26 half centuries, 7 centuries and 1 double century by my count.
Scores at close include 456-3, 407-3, 248-3 , 325-4 and 336-5.
If you take the lowest first innings total scored in each round of games by the team batting first, the highest this season was 222. Thats already been beaten today with Essex on 248 and they're only 3 wickets down.
The Kookaburra ball is really not making games competitive.
26 half centuries, 7 centuries and 1 double century by my count.
Scores at close include 456-3, 407-3, 248-3 , 325-4 and 336-5.
If you take the lowest first innings total scored in each round of games by the team batting first, the highest this season was 222. Thats already been beaten today with Essex on 248 and they're only 3 wickets down.
The Kookaburra ball is really not making games competitive.
As I said on the match thread, you have to acknowledge the underlying problem though. We need to be able to develop bowlers for the next generation of test players who are not restricted to taking wickets with a Duke. It is genuinely worrying that none of them can perform without one. Sure, this makes for a crap championship round, and I would like to see this experiment binned ASAP. But we need to find some way to teach the next generation how to take wickets in all conditions with all balls. Because that’s the test they will face if they play internationally.
danthemanSAFC
Winger
The kookaburra ball doesn’t work in England. It’s got nothing to do with the bowlers
mackembhoy
Striker
See Adam Hose had some fun with the Kookaburra yesterday.
Predominantly a T20 player for many years and only one previous FC century from 49 games and a best of 111
Scored 266 from 253 yesterday
Predominantly a T20 player for many years and only one previous FC century from 49 games and a best of 111
Scored 266 from 253 yesterday
consettsafc
Striker
I was surprised to find out that the 100 Curran scored yesterday was only his 2nd first class hundred
mackembhoy
Striker
Only his 12th CC game in the last 5 seasons.
Been wasting his talent being a T20 mercenary. His best way back into the England side in all formats is making himself a top 5 batsman.
Yet if he doesn't play the longest form I'm not sure he improves his batting to the level it could be.
Good to see him now doing just that.
Turner the Cat
Midfield
As Alec Stewart said last season, average batters are being.
Thing is, if this is supposed to improve the skill of our bowlers then playing against a ball that does less and is easier to bat against is hardly going to improve our batters.
Thing is, if this is supposed to improve the skill of our bowlers then playing against a ball that does less and is easier to bat against is hardly going to improve our batters.
Aidan11
Striker
It will also shorten a few bowlers careers.
Cricket is a contest between bat and ball. That isn't happening with Kookaburras.
Just something for Key to justify his job.
Steak Pie
Striker
What conditions do you think you're emulating though? In what way is this preparing anyone to play a test match in India or Australia?
Turner the Cat
Midfield
Very good point. If the players are concerned about the demands of the schedule then out there bowling for 2 days straight every game, especially in this heat, is just going to make things worse.
Voice of fair play
Striker
It’s totally farcical, it’s time to bin it.
Nothing wrong with coming out and saying it hasn’t worked and stop it.
If they don’t they just been stubborn and blinkered to what is obvious
Nothing wrong with coming out and saying it hasn’t worked and stop it.
If they don’t they just been stubborn and blinkered to what is obvious
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Aidan11
Striker
Agree, but they won't admit they are wrong.
In fact I'll bet they introduce it for more rounds next season.
We still have the hybrid pitches to come shortly. That went well last year.
Voice of fair play
Striker
I actually think the idea behind it not that bad in theory
However it is abundantly clear that in practice it not working and the evidence is glaringly obvious.
If they continue to ignore that obvious evidence it will be inexcusable.
You can accept people getting it wrong but not accept them not aadmitting it when it is soo clear
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Inside Forward
Winger
Leicestershire currently 99/8 in response to Middlesex’s 534. 
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