Those of us lucky enough to watch county cricket in the 1980s, with a packet of Salt’n’Shake in one hand and an autograph book in the other, could tick off Viv Richards at Somerset, Malcolm Marshall at Hampshire, Michael Holding at Derbyshire (imagine!) and Courtney Walsh at Gloucestershire in only a couple of games. And that was just for starters.
The growth of franchise cricket means that players at the peak of their powers will rarely now sign on the dotted line to spend their entire summer in northern climes perfecting their red-ball skills. But the appeal remains, like a sudden blast of Madonna’s Into the Groove from a passing car as you wait for the lights to change. The 2025 County Championship overseas roster is an intriguing one. Choose your games carefully and you have a chance to watch some of the world’s best do battle against each other and the indignities of the British weather.
There is a mix of faces flying in, from those who have made county grounds their second homes, such as Kemar Roach at the Oval, the perpetually nomadic, such as Shan Masood, now on to his third county with Leicestershire, and exciting new talents such as the left-handed Australian opening batter Caleb Jewell, setting up shop at Derby’s County Ground, beckoned by the promises of Mickey Arthur.
Middlesex made the marquee signing of the winter, unveiling New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, who will arrive at the club in mid-May before their first Blast game and will remain until the end of September, barring his time with London Spirit.
Other second-division imports include Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando, who lands at Sophia Gardens on the back of doing so well against England last year, and Marcus Harris, who will wear the red rose for the entire summer, legwork done during previous stints with Leicestershire and Gloucestershire. The leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler’s chess opponent of choice during Indian Premier League lulls, returns to Northamptonshire to inspect the new broom being whisked about by the incoming head coach, Darren Lehmann.
There will be two Australian Camerons at Bristol – the new red-ball captain Bancroft, who will be available for the entire summer, barring the first game, and Green, who plays courtesy of a mysterious benefactor – in the words of a club spokesperson, “Probably not Arron Banks.” Green will thunder his boots into the ground between games three to seven, starting with the away game against Adam Hollioake’s Kent. Gloucestershire have also signed the versatile Australian all-rounder Beau Webster, who can switch from swing to off-spin with the flick of a wrist. He’ll play mostly in the Blast, but will be available for the Championship fixtures against Yorkshire and Glamorgan in June.
Anderson Phillip was one of the few bright sparks in Lancashire’s dismal 2024 county season, collecting 15 wickets in three matches as relegation loomed large. He’s back again this year, this time for the full summer, with the possibility of bowling alongside his namesake Jimmy, who has been ruled out of the first block of games with an injury to his right calf.
“Last year was a good experience,” Phillip says. “The opportunity presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands. It was a difficult season for the guys but I admired the way they went about it. And I’m excited to share a dressing room with Jimmy Anderson.
“I’ve had many chats with our coaches back in the West Indies – most of our legends played a lot of cricket in England. It is something that is looked back on fondly. Playing in England helped West Indian cricket a lot. Red-ball cricket develops your cricketing skills. Once you play red ball it becomes easier to play white ball.”
His countryman Jayden Seales, who was a revelation at Hove in the first part of last season (38 wickets in seven games) has re-signed for Sussex – though this time as a Division One player. Meanwhile Kemar Roach is welcomed back to south London for the fifth successive season – he’ll play only the first four games but is a key and much-loved part of Surrey’s Championship-winning side.
A familiar face in Mohammad Abbas returns, though this time in the unfamiliar colours of Nottinghamshire, after 180 wickets at 19 across four summers in Southampton. He is due to play six games and arrives in May to replace the Victorian seamer Fergus O’Neill. Nottinghamshire have also signed the exciting South African wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne, who averages more than 50 in first-class cricket. The New Zealand captain, Tom Latham, was due in Birmingham but will miss the start of Warwickshire’s season after breaking a hand in training for domestic club Canterbury.
Up in the north-east, Durham, already blessed by David Bedingham’s services (Division One’s highest scorer last year) have persuaded over the exciting Australian seamer Brendan Doggett until the end of May. Somerset are smug after buttoning up Matt Henry for the first seven games, the New Zealander Jacob Duffy goes to New Road in the quest to keep Worcestershire in Division One, while Nathan Smith gets the possibly easier job of helping Surrey to secure their fourth title in a row. Dean Elgar will bat and bat and Simon Harmer will bowl and bowl for Essex.
Also in the shop window are the once overseas but now locally qualified Dan Worrall, who may be snapped up by Brendon McCullum before the summer is out, and Zafar Gohar, who hotfoots it over from Bristol to Lord’s.
It’s not a bad roll call. And if you judge the Championship by the players who choose to play in it, there’s life in the old dog yet.
