Proposed ditching of the Kookaburra solves one problem but creates another
GEORGE DOBELL: Most agreed the experiment had some merit, just as most agreed that, after three years, the conclusions were clear: the red Kookaburra ball isn't well suited to conditions in England and WalesThe first-class counties are set to abandon the use of the Kookaburra ball in County Championship cricket.
While the decision has not been finalised - the Professional Game Committee will need to confirm the recommendation when they next meet on November 5 - it was the view overwhelmingly expressed by county directors of cricket in their post-season meeting. It is unlikely the ECB will try to dissuade them.
The Kookaburra ball has been used in the last three seasons of county cricket. Having experimented with two rounds with the ball in 2023, it was expanded to four rounds over the next two years.
There was some logic to the experiment. It was predicated on the hypothesis that conditions in county cricket often provided disproportionate assistance to medium-paced bowlers. As a result, it hasn't always provided the desired opportunity - or even need - for fast bowlers or spinners.
The hope was that the use of the Kookaburra ball would narrow the gap between domestic and international cricket and encourage the skills required - especially fast bowling and spin - required to win Tests in overseas conditions.
In some ways, it worked, too. As research conducted by The Cricketer revealed, the amount of overs of spin delivered rose from 22.42 per cent in the 2025 Dukes rounds to 41.42% in the Kookaburra rounds (up to September 7).
But, whether it was used at the start or in the middle of the season, the Kookaburra rounds tended to result in less than thrilling cricket. With pitches in England and Wales not offering anything like the same bounce as Australian surfaces, the balls tended to swing the balance between bat and ball too far in favour of batters.
In particular, if there was any moisture present - and in county cricket, there's often moisture present - the ball tended to swell, soften and offer nothing to bowlers.
As a result, games involving Kookaburra balls often featured defensive fields, large scores and drawn matches. As that Cricketer research showed, the average score in rounds where the Kookaburra was used in 2025 was 402.95. The average score in rounds where the Dukes ball was used (up to September 7) was 323.19.
It created "sterile and stale" cricket in the words of Mark Robinson, and its use was "the worst decision ever" according to Alec Stewart.
There were other issues. For one thing, there was growing doubt over whether the brand of Kookaburra being used in the county game was the same as that being used in Test cricket in Australia.
In recent years, the ball used in Australia's home Tests has had a strengthened area, meaning the seam has been more prominent and provided increased assistance to bowlers. The version in use in county cricket was the older type with the less pronounced seam.
There was also concern that counties were being persuaded to prepare poor wickets in the hope of avoiding drawn games. And there was doubt over how much cricket those involved in the England set-up were playing across the Kookaburra rounds or, indeed, how much notice the England management took of events in county cricket anyway.
Writing in the September 2025 issue of The Cricketer magazine, David Hopps said: "Nothing has been more unbearable this summer than the Championship experiment with the Kookaburra ball.
"Much of the cricket has been intolerable, a once-balanced game of bat and ball reduced to drudgery and repetition. Helping England is a natural aim, but the Championship must be intrinsically entertaining or it has no future."
Indeed, the decision to move away from the Kookaburra could be seen as a repudiation of Rob Key. And it is true the MD of England men's cricket has been a vocal proponent of the Kookaburra, going as far as to suggest it was "fantastic" and that he "would use the Kookaburra all the time" if it was up to him. "English cricket would be much better off for it," he told The Guardian.
But most agreed the experiment had some merit. Just as most agreed that, after three years, the conclusions were clear: the red Kookaburra ball isn't well suited to conditions in England and Wales. Key is understood to have been in the meeting where the county directors of cricket made their decision.
The development does leave the game with a bit of a problem, though. The Dukes ball has not performed especially well in recent years, regularly losing its shape and going soft. As a result, the ECB are likely to want to retain some competition in the market, both to create some bargaining room in terms of the commercial relationship with Dukes as well as focus their minds on the manufacturing process. The G&M ball was used in some second XI cricket in 2025; it would be no surprise at all if such experiments continued.
Either way, it seems likely the Kookaburra is unlikely to be used in 2026. Few bowlers or spectators will miss it.
08/10
‘Worst decision ever’ reversed as counties ditch Kookaburra experiment
Exclusive: Australian-made ball was first brought in after Strauss review in attempt to help English cricketers perform better Down Under
Will Macpherson
The County Championship’s controversial experiment with the Australian Kookaburra ball appears to be over after directors of cricket agreed to ditch it for next summer.
Encouraged by the England management, with an eye on future Ashes tours, starting with this winter’s, the Kookaburra ball has been used in the Championship for the past three seasons. In 2023, it was used for two rounds, before an expansion to four of the 14 rounds in 2024 and 2025.
Now, following a post-season meeting between directors of cricket, attended by Rob Key, England’s managing director, it has been decided that the Kookaburra ball will not be used next summer. It is understood that Key, previously the experiment’s biggest advocate, left the decision in the hands of the counties and made little attempt to dissuade them.
While Key was such a fan that he declared last year he would expand the experiment to take place all summer, there was plenty of grumbling across the shires about the spectator experience. The fiercest critic was Surrey’s Alec Stewart, who called its introduction “the worst decision ever”.
This means that all 14 rounds in 2026 will be played with the Dukes, which is the default ball in England and used for home Test matches. The Dukes is British made, hand-stitched, and known for greater lateral movement, although production issues in recent years have occasionally neutered it. The Australian Kookaburra is machine-stitched and, historically, has been less friendly to bowlers. It is used in Test matches in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The experiment was first recommended by Sir Andrew Strauss’s ill-fated high-performance review of 2022. The aim was to challenge English bowlers, improving seamers’ ability to bowl in unhelpful conditions, encouraging the selection of quicker bowlers, and promoting the use of spin, which is often reduced to a fringe pursuit in county cricket.
More spin bowled but dull cricket
The full results of the experiment will not be known for some years, but it did at least contribute to the increase in the amount of spin bowled in the domestic game. In 2024, 50 per cent more spin was bowled in the Kookaburra rounds than the Dukes rounds.
The trouble was that it produced some dull cricket, and plenty of draws as the bat held sway over the ball. In 2024, when the experiment was trialled on soft early-season pitches, 17 of the 18 matches in the opening two rounds were drawn. This year, with the experiment moved to mid-summer, Surrey racked up a club-record score of 820 for nine, including 305 for Dom Sibley, at the Oval amid another nationwide run-glut.
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) hands-off approach to the issue now continues a theme from earlier this summer in the latest review of the county schedule. The review was “county-led” and, after a process that ran throughout the season, it was decided that the Championship should remain at 14 matches, despite the majority of players calling for a cut to 12 or 13 to ease their workload. Throughout that process, the ECB took a back seat, allowing the counties to decide.
Decision highlights disconnect between counties and national team
It was in the wake of the last Ashes drubbing Down Under – 4-0 in 2021-22 to follow 4-0 in 2017-18 and 5-0 in 2013-14 – that England’s administrators identified the Kookaburra ball as an easy fix to improve their prospective internationals.
The doomed Strauss review recommended a pilot of the Kookaburra in county cricket, which was then a graveyard for batsmen with medium-fast seamers running amok. It had rarely felt more different to Test cricket, and was not providing England with the tools that thrive at the highest level: technically sound batsmen, bowlers with high pace, and high-class spinners.
Along with a rammed schedule and some result pitches, the finger was pointed by those in team England at the Dukes ball, which has a more pronounced seam than the Kookaburra, and therefore moves around more.
The idea of the Kookaburra experiment was to promote spin and high pace, and to neuter the nibbler. The Kookaburra goes soft sooner, so more imagination was required from captains when the ball was no longer fresh. Overall, it was designed to make wickets harder to come by, matches trickier to win, and English cricketers hardier. Maybe one or two of them would thrive on a future Ashes tour as a result of the experiment.
In 10 rounds of matches across three seasons at all different times of summer, it ticked some boxes. Spin was bowled more, with research in The Cricketer magazine showing that spinners bowled 41.4 per cent of balls in Kookaburra rounds, and just 22.4 per cent in Dukes rounds. The average first-innings total was almost 80 runs higher against the Kookaburra than the Dukes.
But overall, it did not suit county cricket. The pitches were too soft for it, or the bowlers were simply not equipped with the skill sets to prise wickets out with it. Barely any current England players used it, and many of those on the radar did not, either. Draws, and some dull cricket, followed. Certainly, county members will rejoice at the news.
More than anything, the end of the experiment implies the deepening of a disconnect between the counties and the national team. The counties will do what suits them, and England will do what suits them.
03/10
Easing of visa rules triggers change in county overseas recruitment
A successful application from the ECB to the Home Office has removed restrictions, freeing up counties looking to recruit for the 2026 season
George Dobell
Counties will find it easier to sign - and retain - overseas players during the 2026 season due to a change in visa regulations.
The overseas player market has grown desperately complex in recent times, with visa regulations and competition from other leagues and international cricket resulting in a situation described as "carnage" by one director of cricket. In particular, it has resulted in numerous short-term stints necessitating a disproportionate amount of international travel from the players and administrative work from the counties.
Previously, players had to have played at least 20 T20 fixtures in the three previous years to fit the criteria for an "international sportsperson" visa.
But it proved limiting for some of the best non-international first-class cricketers in the world, who were unable to play in the County Championship for any meaningful length of time.
Consequently, in recent years, deals for the likes of Fergus O'Neill at Nottinghamshire, Chris Tremain at Northamptonshire and Brett Randall at Somerset have been on 28-day "permitted paid engagement" (PPE) visa stints.
"It's still meaning that you can't get the best players," Simon Cook, the Kent director of cricket, complained to The Cricketer last winter. "A really good Championship bowler, for example, who doesn't play white-ball cricket, won't get a visa."
However, as revealed in the November 2025 issue of The Cricketer magazine, ECB has made a successful application to the Home Office, which has seen them rewrite the governing body endorsement criteria for International Sportsperson Visas and remove restrictions on the recruitment of overseas players.
The rule could well result in an influx of Australian cricketers in 2026. Australia's men are only scheduled to play one international series between the start of April and the end of July, and that is against Afghanistan.
With Cricket Australia (and the ECB) currently boycotting bilateral series against Afghanistan in protest at the lack of opportunity being provided in the country to female cricketers, it is highly likely that the series will be cancelled.
Champions Notts are set to be one of the beneficiaries of the rule change. In 2025, Australian seamer O'Neill was limited to just 28 days with the club by the regulations. In those four games, he claimed 21 Championship wickets at a cost of 17.90 apiece. In 2026, he is set to be available for several months.
Despite such a short spell, captain Haseeb Hameed said: "Hopefully, we can build a few more memories together in the future."
The changes come following three months of consultation between the counties and the ECB. Subsequently, the ECB made a recommendation to the government department that players from abroad should be eligible for a visa as long as they have played 10 first-class matches in a Full Member nation in the preceding 24 months.
Until 2019, non-qualified players had to have earned full international caps to qualify as overseas cricketers in the county system. However, mindful that some of the best short-format talent would be ruled out of participation in the T20 Blast or The Hundred on that basis, the ECB successfully requested to allow those with 20 appearances at recognised T20 leagues in the past two years (or an international cap in any format) to be engaged.
But that effectively limited the involvement of players like O'Neill, who, at the time he signed for Nottinghamshire ahead of the 2025 season, had played only 10 T20 games in his career.
The rule change should broaden the market for counties, result in longer-term deals, and cut costs, international travel and administrative time.
As well as extending the period of availability to play, it should ease stress around travel. O'Neill, for example, arrived 72 hours before Notts' first Championship match of the season.
02/10
The bloke that called county members "Luddites", Tim Bostock, is perplexed by relegation.
01/10
"A disaster" if Jonny Bairstow leaves Yorkshire
Yorkshire head caoch Anthony McGrath is hopeful that the county will reach an agreement with Jonny Bairstow to remain at Headingley
It would be "a disaster" were Jonny Bairstow to leave Yorkshire at the end of the season, according to head coach Anthony McGrath.
The former England wicketkeeper-batter is approaching the end of his central contract, and he will effectively become a free agent on October 1.
Bairstow, 36, captained Yorkshire to survival on their return to Division One of the County Championship, scoring 735 runs in 12 games for his boyhood county in the process, but no agreement to extend his contract has yet been reached.
"We want him to stay," said McGrath after Yorkshire's remarkable win over Durham on Saturday, which relegated their opponents. "He knows that. He's having discussions with the club.
Speaking to the ECB Reporters Network, he added: "Hopefully, we'll have some news shortly. I know Jonny loves Yorkshire and loves playing here. I'm sure him and the club will get their heads together, and hopefully there will be some good news. Hopefully we don't see Jonny leave. That would be a disaster. I don't want to speak too soon, but I'm pretty confident we'll see Jonny here next year."
It remains to be seen what an extension would look like in earnest, whether Bairstow retains the red-ball captaincy or turns to the white-ball circuit and signs for the Blast with Yorkshire, while retaining the option of playing Championship cricket. This season, he was briefly away from Headingley after signing a short-term IPL deal with Mumbai Indians in late May.
"Everyone knows his quality," McGrath told The Cricketer last week. "I think it's his drive and determination, the way he's captained this year, he's led from the front. And I think he needs that kind of motivation."
28/09
27/09
Durham's incompetence under pressure costs them their Division One status
PAUL EDWARDS AT HEADINGLEY: Tasked with surviving 89 overs, with bad light potentially there to aid them too, Durham collapsed in just 44.5 overs against Yorkshire to lose the match and their place in the top flight
Headingley (day four of four): Durham 346 & 85, Yorkshire 475 - Yorkshire win by an innings and 44 runs
"We'll need some reaction," say my editors, and it is almost invariably a prelude to their disappointment. Cricketers are at their most eloquent when playing cricket, and even a world-class batsman's opinions on things after he has made a seven-hour century are unlikely to glitter with insight. So I generally ignore the request, don a flak jacket and await the furious salvo.
But then there are days like this one at Headingley, or more precisely, this afternoon at Headingley, where Durham were asked to bat out 89 overs against Yorkshire to secure their place at English first-class cricket's top table and contrived to be bowled out in 44.5 of those overs, a collapse that relegated them to the Second Division of the County Championship.
Let no one suggest they were unlucky.
The simple facts reveal little of the drama that appeared out of a grey Leeds sky.
Durham's incompetence, their signal failure to cope with the pressure applied by a quite magnificent Yorkshire attack was all the more pathetic given the likelihood that play would have been curtailed by bad light and that Alex Lees' side had been thrown a gorgeous lifebelt in the first hour's play when Rahul Chahar had dismissed James Fuller to complete Surrey's 20-run victory over Hampshire, a defeat that would have relegated their hosts had Durham's batsmen remained in contact with their powers of resistance.
But they didn't. My God, they didn't. Instead, they lost their eight wickets for 28 runs, their last six for nine runs and their last four for two in just ten deliveries as Dom Bess took three wickets in an over and George Hill, who had earlier taken his fiftieth wicket of the season, trapped Will Rhodes lbw for six to end the game.
That sent the small crowd at the Kirkstall Lane End into the sort of ecstasy and wild celebrations their current constitutions are not designed to withstand.
So y'know, maybe a few quotes are appropriate, especially when they come from someone as honest as Durham's head coach, Ryan Campbell, whose decision to face the media was in sharp contrast to his players' approach when Jordan Thompson, Hill and Bess were in full cry.
"I can't explain it, it's just a total capitulation," said Campbell. "Unfortunately, it's happened a few times this year. The pressure went on, and our blokes couldn't stop it. Obviously, there's a room full of gutted people in there.
"We were handed a lifeline and we didn't take it. I've always said that we bat at our best when we look to score. When you look to score, you get yourself into better positions and make better decisions.
"I think, obviously, there was a very defensive mindset of trying to get through. What then happens is that if you lose a couple of wickets, you haven't gone anywhere. The facts were that we were 120-odd behind when we started, and we needed to get rid of that as quick as we could. That takes courage to back your skills and ability, and that’s something we’ve always done.
"But today was one of those days that will probably go down in Durham's folklore of hanging our heads in shame."
Campbell nails it. The world of professional cricket does not lend itself to the conventional tabloid stereotypes of "demigods" and "turnip-heads" – at least it should not – but Durham's display on this final afternoon of a 178-day was the sort of show that should linger in the minds of Lees and his players for months.
One thinks of David Bedingham, fishing uselessly with his bat held far from his body and nicking Jordan Thompson to Bairstow. That left Durham on 62 for 4, yet it was merely the prelude to barely ten overs which would see Graham Clark slash Hill to Mayank Agarwal at backward point and Ben Raine slog Bess to Matthew Revis at mid-off. And all these dismissals took place in increasingly gloomy light, with the umpires consulting frequently about its fitness.
The light might have saved Durham, but in the end, their batsmen could not save themselves.
All of which leaves us with Thompson, who was playing his last game before his move to Warwickshire, yet ran in as though he had just signed a three-year deal at Headingley. Is there a more wholehearted cricketer in the land? The Kirkstall Lane End crowd did not think so; they cheered him at every opportunity in this match.
And it leaves us with George Hill, whose two spells left him with figures 10.5-7-14-4. There can hardly be a county that does not covet Hill's services and today he and Dom Bess put the hard word on their opponents, only to find it met with bleak submission.
Hampshire, meanwhile, could reflect on a fortnight in which their men's and women's teams had lost three white-ball finals and their head coach, Adi Birrell, had announced his departure.
Yet on the very last afternoon of this gorgeous 178-day season, their men's side had been saved from relegation by a bunch of players who sighted a gift-horse and looked it squarely in the gob.
Durham imploded this afternoon, bowled out for just 85, falling to an innings defeat to snatch a place in Division two away from Hampshire - who needs play-offs for drama!
ee by eck!
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After Surrey beat Hampshire this morning by 20 runs, Durham only need to avoid defeat to Yorkshire to send Hampshire down to the basement division - oh dear!
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26/09
Players still want County Championship title more than franchise fireworks
'Short-form cricket cannot provide the same deep, long-lasting satisfaction that Nottinghamshire have experienced in securing their seventh championship pennant
Michael Atherton
The denouement of the County Championship can be far removed from how modern franchise cricket has evolved, given the desire for high-octane moments to be celebrated and shared to the backdrop of a full house, a stage with fireworks and a gaudy bit of silverware, all wrapped up into a neat package to drive social media interaction.
Yet the reason the championship retains pride of place as far as county cricketers are concerned — and make no mistake, the championship is still the one that the vast majority of players want to win above all — is that it is not about ephemeral achievement or pleasure, but rather the deep, long-lasting satisfaction that comes from hard work and a long season’s grind.
Besides, there was no lack of tension on Thursday as Nottinghamshire, needing 300 to notch a second batting bonus point and clinch a seventh title in their history, got there for the loss of six wickets. It was left to Kyle Verreynne, capping a memorable season having earlier won the World Test Championship final with South Africa, and a more local boy, Liam Patterson-White, to steer them home.
So it came to pass, a little before 5pm, that the title-winning moment was not raised with a dramatic victory and players rolling around in each other’s arms deliriously, but, mid-match, with an earlier sly glance elsewhere — at bonus points that eluded Surrey — and the harvesting of that crucial final point, courtesy of a crunching blow over mid-wicket for six by Verreynne.
It was fitting that the club captain, Haseeb Hameed, should lead the charge with his fourth championship hundred of the summer, brought up with a near-suicidal single to mid-wicket and celebrated after he had wiped down the dust from his sweater, following a desperate full-length dive to make his ground. In an innings characterised by the serenity with which he plays his cricket, it was a rare, flustered moment.
The move to Nottinghamshire from Lancashire helped to revitalise Hameed’s career — although an England recall looks distant under the present regime — and this championship triumph further vindicates that upheaval. “Calm and committed,” was the description of his leadership from one of his players, and he has been the club’s leading runscorer, having formed a successful opening partnership with Ben Slater.
Hameed has been ever-present in this year’s championship and it was 174 days ago, now, that Dillon Pennington ushered in Nottinghamshire’s 2025 challenge with a ball that Durham’s captain, Alex Lees, gently guided to third man for three runs. At that point, Durham were the more fancied of the two clubs, but their paths have diverged to the point where they have been scrapping at opposite ends of the table over the past month.
Nottinghamshire’s ultimate triumph was not quite sealed with their fine, nail-biting victory over Surrey last week at the Oval, but it became clear then that, barring a dramatic turn of events, the pennant would be heading to Trent Bridge for the first time since 2010. Surrey’s dominance, at least for one year, is over.
You cannot quibble with the outcome. The nature of the competition means that Nottinghamshire and Surrey have played each other only once this year, but the weary resignation behind the latest attempts to devise an alternative schedule, which will mean no change to next year’s competition, reflects the complexity of competing pressures, from players to members to high-performance demands and to balance sheets.
None of that detracts from the plain fact that Nottinghamshire have won more matches than anyone else. A combination of hot, dry weather, lifeless pitches, Kookaburra balls in occasional use and weary bowlers has meant that most counties, even Surrey, have found positive results hard to come by. At the start of the last round of matches, the six victories accrued by Nottinghamshire stood two clear of their nearest challengers. Theirs is a deserved triumph.
A fair criticism in recent years has been their reliance on neighbouring counties for their recruitment, although in a landscape that increasingly is more fluid than it once was, that criticism is hardly particular to them. Homegrown players have certainly made an impact this summer — Lyndon James and Patterson-White, for example, have played key roles — as have those produced elsewhere.
When the title came to Notts for the first time in 1907, a Sutton-in-Ashfield-born seamer, Tommy Wass, who often bowled the first ball of an innings until the last, took 145 wickets. This year no one has passed 40, but their bowling strength in the round stands in contrast to weakness at some other clubs. The unsung Brett Hutton leads the way, but Josh Tongue, Pennington and the overseas pair, Mohammad Abbas and Fergus O’Neill, the latter playing four matches in April, have all contributed strongly. Seven bowlers have taken five-wicket hauls.
In the background, the support staff were helmed by Peter Moores, long regarded as the best of domestic coaches. Attributes that meant some leading England players found him wearying in the more high-pressure environment of international cricket suit a county dressing room perfectly. All too readily, county cricketers are liable to lose their edge amid the grind, but Moores’s relentless enthusiasm and energy ensures that is not the case.
With three wins in their first five fixtures, his team started strongly. They are finishing just as powerfully.
PCA Not Ruling out strike action
Former England cricketer investigated over sexual assault and spiking claims at pub owned by sports stars
Ali Martin Matt Hughes 12/09 The Guardian- Metropolitan police questioned man in his 40s in June
- Incident alleged to have occurred at pub in Chelsea
- Metropolitan police questioned man in his 40s in June
- Incident alleged to have occurred at pub in Chelsea
A former England cricketer is being investigated by police over an allegation of sexual assault and claims two women had their drinks spiked at a London pub co-owned by a group of current and former sport stars.In a statement released to the Daily Telegraph on Friday, the Metropolitan police confirmed that officers interviewed a man in his 40s in June after it received a complaint about an alleged spiking and assault.
Ken Shuttleworth, fast bowler who helped England regain their first Ashes on Australian soil since 1932
A fine one-day bowler, his accurate spells were also key to Lancashire’s success in the early days of limited-overs cricket
Telegraph Obituaries
Ken Shuttleworth, who has died aged 80, was an opening bowler for Lancashire and Leicestershire in the 1960s and 1970s who played five times for England, and might have had more caps but for injuries.
A tall, right-armed seamer who came in off a long run, he had genuine pace and was officially designated as “fast” – a classification not given to many. At Lancashire he began as a support bowler to the great Brian Statham, and over his career displayed something of Statham’s fabled parsimony, taking 484 first-class wickets for the county at just 22.92 apiece between 1964 and 1976.
He was also a fine one-day bowler whose accurate spells played an integral part in Lancashire’s successes during the early days of limited-overs cricket, when they won three 60-over Gillette Cups and two 40-over Sunday League titles.
For England, however, Shuttleworth never quite made the grade. Minor niggles often took him out of the international frame, and later in his career he was subject to fluctuations in form that were brought about by a habit of tinkering with his action.
Kenneth Shuttleworth was born on November 13 1944 in St Helens, Lancashire, where he went to Parr Central School and played cricket for Earlestown and then St Helens Recs. He was working at Pilkington glass when he was spotted by Lancashire, who signed him in 1964 at the age of 19.
“I came into work one morning and the personnel office told me to go home and get my kit because I was going to a trial at Old Trafford,” he said. “They had a car waiting to take me to the ground and it was the Lancashire chairman Rupert Howard waiting in a Jaguar. It was a two-day game against Cumberland and I took four wickets, so they offered me a contract at £10 a week with £4 travel expenses.”
He initially acted as third seamer behind Statham and Ken Higgs, and his first wicket for the county was a Yorkshireman – the prized scalp of Geoffrey Boycott. Within three years he had made a big enough impression to be chosen to tour Pakistan in 1967-68 with a Commonwealth team under the captaincy of Richie Benaud.
He played for England versus the Rest of the World at Lord’s in June 1970 – not regarded as a first-class match – and was chosen for the following winter’s 1970-71 tour to Australia, becoming part of the first England squad – under Ray Illingworth – to regain the Ashes on Australian soil since 1932.
Opening the bowling with John Snow, he took 5 for 47 on his debut at Brisbane in the second innings of the first Test, before slogging through 28 overs for two wickets in Australia’s first innings at Perth.
He was selected for the third Test in Melbourne, but it was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The first-ever one-day international was hastily arranged to fill the gap – and Shuttleworth claimed England’s first wicket in the format, dismissing Keith Stackpole.
But he was then dropped for the fourth Test in Sydney in favour of the debutant Bob Willis, who kept him out for the rest of the series.
Shuttleworth did, though, appear in both of the following two Tests in New Zealand and in the first home Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston later in 1971. But he took no wickets in that encounter, which proved to be his last for his country. He ended up with 12 Test wickets at an average of 35.58.
Shuttleworth’s surprise departure from Lancashire in 1976 was partly down to a loss of confidence stemming from a match against Yorkshire in which the ball swung around so violently that he lost all control, bowling wide after wide. “The worst thing was that it rained the following day,” he recalled. “I had already worried about it all night and then spent the next day worrying about it because we were rained off. The fear never really left me after that – bowling went from being a natural thing to do to becoming very hard.”
None the less, at Leicestershire from 1977 to 1980 he was able to control the demons well enough to take a further 99 first-class wickets.
Playing thereafter in the North Staffs and South Cheshire League, he worked in the marketing department at British Coal for 10 years before co-founding a firm that specialised in dewatering – clearing water and debris from flooded areas. He also qualified as an umpire, standing in 11 first-class matches between 1998 and 2003, and undertook some youth coaching at Lancashire.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara (née Edwards), whom he married in 1969, and their daughters, Sara and Hannah.
Ken Shuttleworth, born November 13 1944, died 19 August 2025
16/08
Derbyshire chief hails "good future" for outground cricket after Repton return
Repton: Derbyshire 315, Worcestershire 316-6 - Worcestershire won by four wickets
Caleb Jewell hit the first List A century at Repton School with three balls that went for six, four and four off Brett D'Oliveria.
D'Oliveria himself repeated the same feat in the Worcestershire chase, but it very much feels like they won't be last to do so here, if the 1,700 sell-out crowd here – including neutrals from as far afield as Somerset and Lancashire - have anything to say about.
And what's not to like for the kind of people for whom outground cricket is very much a lifestyle? Grass banking, trees, historic architecture, a spire, and – as the cherry on a very rich cake – an actual thatched pavilion.
That Derbyshire had not returned to such groundhopping opulence since their sole previous home game here in 1988 is something of a surprise.
On the evidence of today, though, good things come to those who wait.
Although this fixture was moved from Derby after the schedule was announced, nothing here felt haphazard from a fan's point of view; no surprise, given that talks about this return had been ongoing for four years.
And Derbyshire chief executive Ryan Duckett believes that outground cricket across the counties has a "good future", if the 18 clubs can find a way to make such events work commercially.
"One of the positives of the One Day Cup, despite losing players to The Hundred, is the players that have emerged and gone on to play in the County Championship and the Blast," said Duckett.
"But another positive has been the crowds, even at headquarters, and there's been a resurgence of outground cricket.
"In the past, not all outground days worked, but you have to look at different models to make it work commercially, whether that's with a school or a cricket club.
"I think outground cricket has a good future, but every county has got to get their model right to make sure it's a sustainable project."
Repton director of cricket Martin Speight is in agreement, having played for Sussex and grounds including Eastbourne, Hastings, Arundel and Horsham during his career.
"It's a great spectacle and there's a buzz about the school," he said. "I don't see anyone losing out of it.
"If you want to inspire kids and promote the game, well, show me somewhere better than this to do it."
It's hard to argue with him, and one would suspect a return visit will soon be pencilled in for 2026. Maybe, in future, there could even be one featuring a red ball and white clothing.
Now that really would be the cherry on the top.
Rehan Ahmed interview: The player who could be England’s long-term Ben Stokes replacement
Spinner has hit five centuries in County Championship to become a left-field all-round option for this winter’s Ashes tour
Will Macherson
It is approaching three years since Rehan Ahmed’s stunning Test debut but it is not until Wednesday that he will turn 21. And this coming-of-age milestone arrives in the middle of a coming-of-age season full of milestones.
Ahmed has been one of the stories of the season despite not adding to his tally of caps in a thrilling Test summer.
In a resurgent Leicestershire side seemingly certain for promotion, he has hit five County Championship centuries, equal most in the land. Four of them have come in his last four matches and all of them have come in the top three after he opportunistically asked for a promotion.
Ahmed also has 23 wickets at 19 apiece, including 16 at 17 with the Kookaburra ball which has been county cricket’s kryptonite this dry summer.
It is now Hundred season, and he has started that well, too. In two Trent Rockets wins, he has 56 runs from 42 balls at No 3 and taken two wickets from his 25 deliveries.
‘I’m a bowler who bowls and a batter who bats’
In the winter of 2022-23, as an 18-year-old, Ahmed became England’s youngest male cricketer in all three formats. He took a five-wicket haul on Test debut and was the first of the Bazball era’s great punts on youth.
But his talent was so obvious and prodigious in both key facets of the game that it was easy to wonder which he should concentrate more on. For England, he has been a bowler. For Leicestershire, he has largely been a batsman. This year, for all his batting success, Ahmed has not changed his view of his own cricket.
“I still feel like I’m a bowler who bowls and a batter who bats,” he tells Telegraph Sport. “I want to be very good at both. Whether that takes me years or happens quickly, I will always be striving to be the best all-rounder I can.”
He accepts, though, that something has changed in his batting. In the opening game of the championship season, Leicestershire’s regular opener Rishi Patel injured his hand, and Ahmed offered to stand in. In his first full game in the role, he scored a hundred, just the second of his career, and was moved to No 3 when Patel returned. Four more hundreds have followed.
“I asked for the opportunity to open,” he says. “I feel I train hard enough on my batting to bat in the top order. When I was batting lower down, I felt like I was always chasing the game. But at three, in your head you have more time to shape the game. I’m not saying I play to all that time, but it makes me more relaxed knowing it’s there.
“And also, when you bat at No 3, there are often only about three fielders in front of the bat. It can be easier to get a good start. It’s also nice having that responsibility, to take the game on yourself.
“I feel that if I occupy the crease long enough, I will always find ways to score. I just had to find a way to stay out there long enough. I am surprised that I’ve kept my head switched on long enough to get five hundreds, but I’m delighted.
“I always felt I never did myself justice with the bat. I love batting. I have always told everyone I love batting. I would say that, and then look at my numbers and ask myself ‘mate, do you actually love batting?’
“I train so much on my batting, and expect myself not to get out in certain ways. So when I have got out like that, and go against the work I’ve done, it’s not nice. I tried to make sure I am content with how I have got out because I know my options. You are going to get out. It’s just how many runs you’ve got before you’ve got out.
“The template has not changed. But I have soaked up pressure much better, I think. I have got a 50 off 30 balls, and hit four fours in an over because I felt that was the best way to put a bowler under pressure. But it’s the times I’ve soaked up pressure better that it’s paid off most.”
It has been easy to wonder if Ahmed is on some sort of Steve Smith arc: the leg-spinning all-rounder whose unique and irrepressible batting took over. He is not having it, though.
“I love bowling, too!” he says. “Whenever I’ve played for England, it’s been as a bowler. I still do think that’s my first skill and I am trying to learn as much as I possibly can. Leg-spin is an art that you can never perfect. It’s about working as hard as possible.
“I want to bowl as much as I possibly can. I enjoy it. I love being part of the game as much as I can. So I just want to get runs and a load of wickets consistently in the same games.”
‘I hope my brother breaks my records’
Leicestershire have never been promoted, and have been out of the championship’s top flight since 2003. Ahmed puts this season’s success to their bevy of all-rounders: himself, Ian Holland (who he calls the Leicester Jacques Kallis), Ben Green and Tom Scriven, who has battled No 11 at times despite a first-class average of almost 30.
At the Rockets, Ahmed is batting No 3 behind Joe Root, has Graeme Swann coaching spin and Andy Flower in charge. Having worked together in the ILT20, Flower and Ahmed appear to be forming an unlikely bromance.
“We have a great relationship,” he laughs. “From the outside, he can look a bit daunting. When I first met him it felt almost like a headteacher. I felt like I was going to get told off every time! But I love the fact that he is serious, it shows how much he cares. He’s a good laugh as well, an open guy and a great coach.”
Perhaps circled in Ahmed’s calendar is Tuesday, August 19, when Rockets face Manchester Originals, who have picked up his 17-year-old brother, Farhan, who is already a first-team regular with Nottinghamshire. They met twice in the Blast this year. Could Farhan break Rehan’s records as England’s youngest player?
“He can try!” the big brother laughs. “Honestly, I hope he does. He’s a very talented boy and works very hard too. I don’t see why he couldn’t.
“I can’t wait [to play against him again]. It’s something we dreamt of when we were kids, playing against your brothers on the big stage. I’m very happy for him, he’s got a lot of skill and is doing very well.”
‘I’d love to be a part of the Ashes’
When Shoaib Bashir succumbed to injury last month, the Leicestershire coach Alfonso Thomas said he was “amazed” Ahmed was not called up. The player himself saw it differently, saying Liam Dawson “deserved the chance”.
But his form this year has put him in pole position for a place on this winter’s Ashes tour, chiefly as Bashir’s understudy but perhaps as a left-field all-round option. For all the talk of Smith, England need to think about life after Ben Stokes. It might just be that Ahmed, batting in the top seven and bowling game-changing leg spin alongside four frontline seamers, is the perfect option.
“I’ve never been to Australia,” he says. “Never played there. It looks a great place to play, and the Ashes is an incredible occasion. I’d love to be a part of it. I know the management, if they pick me, they back me 100 per cent. If they don’t, it’s because they don’t think I’m the right man for the job there. I have full faith in their judgement.”
Whether Ahmed gets the Ashes call or not, he will be soaking up the series. In 2023, he spent a lot of time fielding in place of the injured Ollie Pope at Lord’s, and describes it as “some experience”. Even as he comes of age, his childlike love of the game remains; he admits he “loves watching Rooty bat in the nets” and he found England’s series against India “proper” viewing.
“I know it’s simple, but having fun in the game is important,” he says. “If you asked any man on the street if they wanted to play in the Ashes, they’d jump at the chance. If I don’t go, it’ll be a great watch.”
14/08
Do you remember the discrepancy in the playing elevens declared at the toss for Nottinghamshire and the eleven that the players were told at Southampton recently, where Farhan, performing 12th man duties had to be informed by the umpire that he (Farhan) was in the playing eleven and not Dillon?
Well something similar has happened at Worcestershire:
From the Essex report:
... It was not all rosy for Worcestershire, though. Rob Jones had declared himself unfit to play earlier in the morning but was named in the XI at the toss in what was later described as an ‘administrative error’ (expletive deleted). He came out at the fall of the ninth wicket, faced two balls, scored five not out and was not seen again...
12/08
Lancs Cricket County Members Group letter to Rob Andrew of ECB
Dear Rob,
You were kind enough to consult the County Cricket Members Group earlier in the summer. Our main piece of feedback on the proposed domestic schedule changes was as follows:
"To make time for the counties (especially the member controlled ones) to consult their members meaningfully"
After the PGC met on 8 July and sent counties their choices for feedback, Lancashire CCC held a members forum on 13 July. There, the CEO, Daniel Gidney, told members that the ECB had given the club just three options - all with 12 fixtures - for the County Championship. The ECB also required county Chairs to vote on these options by 17 July. The club was bound by a previous promise to put any change to the domestic schedule to a binding member vote. Accordingly, the club required members to vote on the three options by 16 July.
At the time, other counties were sharing a broader choice including a 14 match option restoring Division 1 to 8 teams, so some Lancashire members were suspicious that they had not been told the full picture. Lancashire members were though largely in the dark and trusted the club's information and around 1100 (out of c 6000 members) voted on the three choices.
It recently became clear that the Chief Executive misled members because an e-mail dated 28 July from the chair of the ECB's Professional Game Committee became public.
I ask that the ECB takes action to uphold the integrity of the consultation process. My understanding is that the voting on the options is very tight and one county's vote either way could decide the matter.
Lancashire CCC members have called a SGM to hold the Chief Executive accountable for his actions. It also requests that Interim Chair Dame Sarah Storey abstain from any ECB vote until Lancashire members are given the choice of the 12 match option or keeping a 14 match option.
We ask that you give Lancashire CCC time to correct the incorrect and incomplete information given to members so that its vote reflects the real views of the membership.
Lancashire members have offered to meet Dame Sarah to resolve the issues and await her reply.
Thank you for the time taken to listen to county members' feedback and for considering this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Alan Higham (National Coordinator County Cricket Members Group)
05/08
Lancashire County Cricket Members group on Twitter X
04/08
this afternoon:
Lancashire Cricket can confirm that Andy Anson OBE will be stepping down from his position as Chair of the Club, with Dame Sarah Storey set to assume the role of Interim Chair.
At a Board Meeting on Monday 7 July, Anson announced his decision to resign from the role, following the India Test Match at Emirates Old Trafford. This follows on from his appointment to a new full-time role working with leading private equity company BD Capital, and his decision to step down as CEO of the British Olympic Association, earlier in the month.
Anson has served as Lancashire’s Chair since November 2020 providing strategic leadership and support to the Club during a period of growth and transformation, initially under difficult circumstances following the passing of previous Chairman David Hodgkiss OBE during the Covid pandemic.
Under his stewardship, Lancashire Cricket has made significant strides, particularly with the Hilton Garden Inn extension project, which was completed in 2023, as well as Farington which will open next year, whilst also ensuring significant investment into the Club’s women’s team. Anson has overseen the sales process to acquire Manchester Originals, alongside the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, whilst also championing recent initiatives to honour the Club's heritage, such as the stand renaming after Sir Clive Lloyd and Farokh Engineer, which took place during the Fourth Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford.
Andy Anson said: "It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of Lancashire Cricket, the Club I’ve supported since childhood. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and confident that the Club is well positioned for continued success in the future.
“Having the honour of naming a stand after Sir Clive Lloyd and Farokh Engineer recently, was a moment that will stay with me forever. I am also delighted that - following the investment in Manchester Originals by the RPSG Group - the Club will be on a sound financial footing for generations to come. The significant progress of the women’s squad at the Club is also something I am immensely proud of.
“I would like to thank the Board, the Executive Team, our players, staff and Members for their support and dedication throughout my tenure."
The Club can confirm that Dame Sarah Storey - Britain’s most successful Paralympian - will assume the role of Interim Chair, following Board approval, after stepping down as President. The Interim Chair position will be treated as a casual vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting. The appointment aligns with Club Rule 15.4.4, which states: “If a casual vacancy occurs in the office of Club Chair, the Board shall meet to appoint a person to fill such vacancy.”
ECB Chairman Richard Thompson, ECB Chairman added: “Andy has contributed a great deal during his tenure as Chair at Lancashire, providing stable leadership through the difficult COVID years and enabling the Club to keep moving forwards at pace. His work at the British Olympic Association has also helped to guide cricket into the Olympics in 2028.”
Dame Sarah Storey, commented: “Andy’s impact during his time as Chair has been remarkable and I have been fortunate to witness this first hand during my time as President. Everyone is incredibly grateful for the service he’s shown to the Club and we approach the next phase in a great place thanks to his leadership.”
Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton also commented: “Andy has been a tremendous support for both the men’s and women’s cricket departments during his tenure. On behalf of the players and coaching staff, I would like to thank Andy for his work and wish him all the very best for the future.”
Submitted earlier today:
Dear Mr Morris,
I attach the required documentation for the requisitioning by more than 100 members of a Special General Meeting of LCCC. Please acknowledge receipt of this email.
By my reading of the Rules:
- The Board must convene the SGM by issuing a notice to all Members and the Auditors.
- This must occur *within 14 days of the Receipt Date* (i.e., by August 18, 2025).
- The notice must specify the date, time, place of the meeting, and the resolutions/business (no other business can be transacted).
- The SGM date set in the notice must be *not later than 28 days after the Receipt Date* (i.e., by September 1, 2025).
- The notice must be despatched *at least 14 clear days before the SGM date* (clear days exclude the day the notice is treated as given and the SGM date; e.g., for an SGM on September 1, notice must be despatched by August 16 to allow 14 clear days from August 17–31).
Please also confirm that my reading of the LCCC rules as above, is correct.
GEORGE DOBELL: The ECB have set no limit on how the payments of £400,000 to each of the 18 counties have to be spent, but want to avoid seeing "white elephants" created with unnecessary ground expansions
The first-class counties are set to receive the first payment from The Hundred sales today (Thursday, July 31).
Each of the first-class counties will receive an "unfettered" payment of around £400,000. There are no restrictions on how this money can be used.
While two of the eight deals around new ownership of Hundred sides are yet to be signed, the ECB are confident they will be within weeks and are keen for the counties to see and feel the benefits of the sell-off.
In all, the non-host counties can expect to receive just over £24m from the sales, with the hosts receiving around £18m.
Much of this money will have restrictions imposed upon how it can be spent, with the ECB hoping it is used to clear debt, improve facilities and create revenue streams.
The host counties, which sold an extra share of ownership to investors - Yorkshire, Lancashire and Glamorgan - can also expect to receive that money today. In the case of Yorkshire, it could, in theory, allow them to pay off the debts owed to the Colin Graves family trusts.
Meanwhile, the ECB have intervened to ensure a new 'arms race' doesn't result in counties bankrupting themselves in a bid to join the host teams. There have been concerns that some of the non-host counties - notably Somerset, Kent and Sussex - could be seduced into spending vast sums to increase the capacity of their stadiums in an attempt to become a hosting team should the competition expand.
But Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, has now confirmed there will be only modest (if any) requirements about ground capacity, and they are not going to be asking for large-scale investments.
"These are the sort of things we want to avoid," Gould said. "When giving guidance to what a future expansion looks like in terms of facilities, we're not going to be setting huge capacities. We don't want lots of empty plastic seats around the place.
"If we do set a capacity limit, it will be 7-8,000, and I don't think we've even firmed that up. But we're not looking to see investment going into creating white elephants."
He added: "With the money that's coming in over the next several years, it's a chance for county cricket to recapitalise in a way it's never had an opportunity to. We're looking forward at a grassroots level and county to see how we move forward - men's cricket, women's cricket, fan facilities, player facilities.
"Often when something is sold, the money is taken and probably put into a yacht parked off the Bahamas. Here, every single penny is going back into the game."
No expansion will occur before 2029, and it will only be considered then if certain criteria around growth targets have been achieved. There has, however, been some resistance from several of the current hosts over the prospect of any expansion.
In further news, it seems that three Hundred teams - those based at Lancashire, Yorkshire and Surrey - will see their names change as a result of the new ownership, and a change of format (to a regular T20 structure) is still "to be discussed" in the coming weeks. It remains possible that 2025 is the final year of the 100-ball structure.
"In this country, the format has provided us with some really interesting things, especially from a broadcast perspective," Vikram Banerjee, the managing director of The Hundred, said.
"So, I'm sure it will be discussed. At the moment, it's the hundred [ball] format and that will remain for now. But let's see where we get in a month.
"We don't have firm ideas [how the competition will look next year]. That's the kind of conversation we're starting to get into now. It would be slightly odd to bring in all these just people and just leave it as it is. But there are things the tournament has done brilliantly and we think are great."
It is understood that the current broadcast deal with Sky Sports - running until the end of the 2028 season - specifies that the competition will feature 100 balls per innings.
The ECB also clarified that the new Hundred board will feature 20 people. That will consist of four ECB representatives and two each from the right teams, one of them from the host county and the other from an investor.
Each of the ECB board members will have two votes, meaning there are 24 votes in total. Some issues will be carried by a simple majority and others by a majority of two-thirds. The ECB retains "red lines" over issues such as the length of the window for the tournament. Ticket prices for children will also remain at £5 for the next five years.
The ECB remain keen to avoid playing international cricket during the Hundred window but admit that it may prove impossible to avoid at times as events such as the Olympic Games - cricket is scheduled to be played at Los Angeles 2028 - intervene. But it remains, Gould said, "a last resort" scenario.
Kent Cricket has received an 8-point penalty in the Rothesay County Championship after the club passed the threshold of receiving four fixed penalties in one season, in accordance with the ECB's Professional Conduct Regulations.
A fixed penalty was received in Kent Cricket’s Rothesay County Championship match against Glamorgan CCC on 24 July 2025 (as set out below):
Individual Fixed Penalty
The umpires reported Daniel Bell-Drummond’s conduct during Kent Cricket’s Rothesay County Championship match against Glamorgan CCC on 24 July 2025.
The matter was considered by the Match Referee, Alec Swann, who determined that this was an offence under Level 1(c) of the Professional Conduct Regulations.
1c - Showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action.
Automatic Points Penalty
Regulation 4.28 of the Professional Conduct Regulations sets out that it will be a separate offence for a Team to: “during any season Registered Cricketers registered with or on loan to the same Professional County Club whilst playing for that Team in the County Championship, receive 4 or more fixed penalties”
By virtue of receiving this fixed penalty, Kent Cricket has now met the threshold of four penalties in one season, having previously received three fixed penalties in the Rothesay County Championship for:
- Matt Parkinson’s conduct during Kent Cricket’s Rothesay County Championship match against Glamorgan CCC on 09 May 2025.
- Kashif Ali’s conduct during Kent Cricket’s Rothesay County Championship match against Gloucestershire CCC on 19 May 2025.
- Tawanda Muyeye’s conduct during Kent Cricket’s Rothesay County Championship match against Derbyshire CCC on 26 May 2025.
Kent Cricket have confirmed that they are not appealing the penalty.
Revived MCC Young Cricketers' programme sees first graduate snapped up by county
Allrounder Daaryoush Ahmed has joined Gloucestershire on a rookie contract for the upcoming One-Day CupNick Friend
Daaryoush Ahmed has become the first player to be signed out of the relaunched MCC Young Cricketers programme.
The allrounder has joined Gloucestershire on a rookie contract for the upcoming One-Day Cup.
Ahmed, 24, who has also worked with the South Asian Cricket Academy and trained with Gloucestershire through the winter, has impressed under the eye of Graeme Swann [Nottinghamshire GC], who was appointed as head coach of the initiative following its revival after a five-year hiatus. The MCC is understood to be paying Ahmed's contract.
Rob Lynch, MCC's director of cricket and operations, described the scheme's return as "a huge success" and revealed that "there has been significant interest in many of the players who took part".
Twenty-two players, who have either been released or are yet to be signed, were offered the chance to compete for one spot on a One-Day Cup squad later this summer.
During the month that the squad were together, they were coached and assessed by ECB scouts at Lord's and Wormsley before being reduced to 14 players for matches against Lancashire, South Asian Cricket Association, Middlesex, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Jersey.
"It is clear that having this pathway in place provides another vital opportunity for young players to fulfil their potential, and I am looking forward to seeing how it can support both male and female players in the years to come," added Lynch.
Born in Bristol, Ahmed took Yorkshire's second team for a century in June; he has featured in Gloucestershire's second string since 2022.
"I'm thrilled to have signed my first professional contract with Gloucestershire, a club that has been instrumental in shaping my cricketing journey this far," he said.
"This moment is a proud milestone for me, and I'm really grateful that the hard work and sacrifices over the past few years have led to this opportunity. A huge thank you to SACA, and more recently, the MCC Young Cricketers programme for their invaluable support and guidance. Both have provided me with an incredible platform to grow and succeed."
Nick Friend
Daaryoush Ahmed has become the first player to be signed out of the relaunched MCC Young Cricketers programme.
The allrounder has joined Gloucestershire on a rookie contract for the upcoming One-Day Cup.
Ahmed, 24, who has also worked with the South Asian Cricket Academy and trained with Gloucestershire through the winter, has impressed under the eye of Graeme Swann [Nottinghamshire GC], who was appointed as head coach of the initiative following its revival after a five-year hiatus. The MCC is understood to be paying Ahmed's contract.
Rob Lynch, MCC's director of cricket and operations, described the scheme's return as "a huge success" and revealed that "there has been significant interest in many of the players who took part".
Twenty-two players, who have either been released or are yet to be signed, were offered the chance to compete for one spot on a One-Day Cup squad later this summer.
During the month that the squad were together, they were coached and assessed by ECB scouts at Lord's and Wormsley before being reduced to 14 players for matches against Lancashire, South Asian Cricket Association, Middlesex, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Jersey.
"It is clear that having this pathway in place provides another vital opportunity for young players to fulfil their potential, and I am looking forward to seeing how it can support both male and female players in the years to come," added Lynch.
Born in Bristol, Ahmed took Yorkshire's second team for a century in June; he has featured in Gloucestershire's second string since 2022.
"I'm thrilled to have signed my first professional contract with Gloucestershire, a club that has been instrumental in shaping my cricketing journey this far," he said.
"This moment is a proud milestone for me, and I'm really grateful that the hard work and sacrifices over the past few years have led to this opportunity. A huge thank you to SACA, and more recently, the MCC Young Cricketers programme for their invaluable support and guidance. Both have provided me with an incredible platform to grow and succeed."
Lord Botham ‘appalled’ by Somerset pitch on which 35 wickets fell in five sessions
County bowlers have struggled to take wickets with the Kookaburra ball but that was certainly not a problem when Durham visited Taunton
Lord Botham has launched an extraordinary tirade against his first county Somerset over an “appalling” pitch they served up for the championship match against Durham, which was over in just five sessions.
England legend Botham, 69, represented Somerset between 1974 and 1986 but left in acrimonious circumstances after they fired his great friend Viv Richards. Botham moved first to Worcestershire, then Durham, where he was chairman until earlier this year.
Despite being replaced in the chair by Phil Collins, Botham is now the club’s honorary president and has gone in to bat for Durham over a County Championship match they lost on Wednesday by five wickets before tea on the second of four days.
It is understood that the pitch has been graded “below average” by the match referee Simon Hinks, with an investigation to follow from the cricket regulator which could lead to a deduction in the 19 points Somerset picked up in the match.
Botham said conditions like these were putting the England hierarchy off selecting players based on county form, and criticised Somerset for their desire to stick at 14 championship matches per season when some clubs – including Durham – are pushing for a reduction to 12 in search of greater quality.
Botham said on X: “Before a ball is bowled… As an ex-Somerset player I find this appalling... at a time when county cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for international [cricket].
“Players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch. These are not first-class cricket conditions in mid-summer... I am not surprised that Rob [Key] and Ben [Stokes] unfortunately have to disregard county performances in assessing players for Test quality appearances.
“Durham raised serious concerns the day before the game started... change is needed... both Somerset and Durham have high quality batsmen... Somerset do not need to do this... reduces the game to a farce.”
The Somerset head coach Jason Kerr described the pitch as “incredible”, pointing to the fact that 400 runs were scored on the opening day. The Durham chief executive Tim Bostock disputed this.
“We made our displeasure clear before a ball had been bowled, both to Somerset and the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board],” Bostock told Telegraph Sport. “I’ve no doubt the pitch will attract the attention of the ECB.
“Somerset are one of the counties who want to keep the championship at 14 matches, but if they continue to prepare pitches like this then there’s little point in that. The wicket was used, and not fit for first-class cricket. Yes, 400 runs were scored on the opening day, but that is only because of batsmen attacking at very aggressive strike-rates before the pitch inevitably got the better of them, confirmed by the fact that 22 wickets fell for those runs.
“In the cold light of day I am sure Somerset will be disappointed with that pitch, irrespective of the result.”
Graham Onions, the Durham bowling coach, said “there was excessive turn”, adding: “The bottom line is that it is day one and a half and the game is over, which is not good for county cricket.”
Tim Wigmore.
London Daily Telegraph.
Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
PTG 4893-23338.
PTG Editor.
Wednesday, 9 2025.
PTG 4893-23334
Lancashire opener Phil Salt has had the bat he used in the T20 Blast match against Northamptonshire on Friday cleared by the Cricket Regulator's anti-corruption unit, says a BBC report. Salt was alleged to have breached England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Directives, but the club said it was the same bat he had used for the past two years for England, Lancashire and in the Indian Premier League (PTG 4890-23326, 6 July 2025). Tests carried out after the match were "deemed inconclusive despite the bat fitting through the gauge on several occasions", says the BBC (PTG 4891-23329, 7 July 2025), but it was eventually found to be compliant with regulations and no further action will be taken.
Lancashire said in a statement: "The club and player felt this should have been the end of the matter, but the officials felt it necessary for the bat to be taken away for further testing. At Lancashire, we believe this whole process could have been avoided with improved processes on and off the field, whether that be through better equipment and/or additional training. Following the incident there have been inappropriate comments made by match commentators, inaccurate articles written in the media and some unsavoury social media posts towards the player that could have been avoided”.
In response, the Cricket Regulator said it notes "that the match officials performed their roles fully in compliance with the regulations”. In addition the Regulator said they "acknowledge the cooperation provided by Lancashire and the player in this matter”. An ECB spokesperson is quoted by the BBC as saying: "We are working with all parties involved to ensure they are clear on the correct process for bat gauge testing”. However, precisely what that attributed comment means given that, in the Regulator’s words, the match officials actions were "fully in compliance with the regulations”, is not clear.
Traveller’s arrival sees Somerset ground closed ‘until further notice'.
PTG Editor.
Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
PTG 4893-23337.
08/07
Lancashire Cricket can confirm that the bat used by Phil Salt during Friday evening’s match against Northants Steelbacks has been cleared by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), via the Cricket Regulator.
Salt was alleged to have breached ECB Directives 3.2 and 3.3, after his bat failed an on-field bat-gauge test during the Vitality Blast fixture. It is a bat that he has used for the last two years for England, Lancashire and in the IPL with no issue.
During the first over of Lancashire Lightning’s run chase, an umpire conducted an on-field bat gauge test, as part of an assurance process undertaken to check the sizes of a bat being used. To pass the test, the bat must fit through a gauge of the specified size.
Salt’s bat did not pass through the gauge on the field and was therefore deemed to have failed the test, and in further tests carried out after the match, it was deemed inconclusive despite the bat fitting through the gauge on several occasions. The Club and player felt this should have been the end of the matter, but the officials felt it necessary for the bat to be taken away for further testing.
At Lancashire, we believe this whole process could have been avoided with improved processes on and off the field, whether that be through better equipment and/or additional training. Following the incident there have been inappropriate comments made by match commentators, inaccurate articles written in the media and some unsavoury social media posts towards the player, that could have been avoided.
Following this evidential testing process undertaken by the Cricket Regulator, the bat was found to be compliant with the Regulations - and the Club and player have been informed that no further action will be taken.
Cricket Regulator says:On 4th July, during the match between Northamptonshire and Lancashire, Phil Salt’s bat was subject to an on-field test, the bat did not pass this initial test.
Following standard practice the bat was then subject to a post-match test, the results of which were inconclusive.
On 7th July, the Cricket Regulator investigated the matter and found the bat to be compliant with the regulations. Accordingly no further action will be taken against the player or Lancashire in this matter.
The Cricket Regulator notes that the match officials performed their roles fully in compliance with the regulations, the Regulator also acknowledges the cooperation provided by Lancashire and the player in this matter.
So what does that mean?
Umpires Rob Bailey and Simon Widdup were doing their job correctly in their public gauging of the bat's legality, the CR says.
In private, away from public eyes and the TV cameras, the bat passes testing.
So were the umpires using the gauge incorrectly or was the on-field gauge of the wrong dimensions?
The Cricket Regulator, again, failing to be clear and comprehensive about what has occurred in its statement.
KOOKABURRA MADNESS
You might have already read the ECB's and Rob Key's hopes following the Strauss Review with its recommendations to play rounds of championship cricket with the Kookaburra ball and the counties' move, this year to play those rounds in the driest months (allowing for the H*ndred hiatus obviously), if not read a reminder here...
... but one, probably foreseeable and not totally desireable, consequence has been the counties importing a maelstrom of overseas spinners on short term contracts for these Kookaburra rounds.
You can't blame the counties, looking to get one up on their rivals, but surely this defeats some of the objectives of the exercise in the first place.
This maelstrom of spin includes:
Todd Murphy (Glo), Yuzendra Chahal (Nor), Sai Kishore (Sur) and Corey Rocchiccioli (War) - there may be more.
In the two rounds of Kookaburra so far, the Notts trio of spinners have bowled:
Liam Patterson-White 134 overs
Calvin Harrison (for Northants on loan) 98.5 overs
Farhan Ahmed 74 overs
07/07
You may have notice another elite sporting eventing happening at the moment: Wimbledon.
Players throwing themselves around, running, jumping and stretching for three hours or much more. There's no hiding in the field for a rest as it's full on for the whole time. They have gaps between matches / rounds for the best players usually measured in hours and rarely more than one day between. That's the nature of a tournament. Yes there's injuries, but you are more prone in injury if you push body to your physical limits doing any activity for a long or short period of time. That's elite sport.
The SGM will still be held though but it's a good start to rooting out the issues at LCCC
ReplyDeleteSounds a great match at Repton. Really want smaller grounds to stage county cricket, but the less the number of matches, the harder that is to achieve.
ReplyDeleteCouldn’t believe what I was witnessing with Durham HBD - nor could Martin Emmerson
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ReplyDeleteIts easy to drop down a division but so hard to get back up again . The Durham lads will be thinking they should have put up more resustance when so much is at stake. I always feel a bit sad when negative fhings happen to Durham . The Club and the fans have the worst of weather being so far up North . Nearly always colder by a degree or two with subsequent poor light problems
82 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteSome good stuff written in those articles about Notts , Surrey , Durham etc
Praise indeed from the OBSERVER- says TB is the UKs best looking cricket ground !
Thought it was a strange ruling in the first place with its criteria so good news 📰 but it’s such a hard decision with the 3 overseas lads that did so well for us last season, though presumably Kyle Verreynne is a no-brainer to fill one of the 2 spots
ReplyDeleteIn theory and if there's no injuries (don't laugh) we ought to be ok with a Fergus + one dovetailing bowling option. I think I heard that Kyle will be available for the MBC in 2026.
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