County Cricket News / Updates Thread - 2016 Season

Durham are looking for a new overseas player for 2016 following the news that John Hastings will not play this season.
He is due to have shoulder surgery directly after the IPL.

 

Essex have signed Pakistan international fast bowler Wahab Riaz for seven T20 Blast matches in 2016.

 

Glamorgan will stage their first senior cricket match in Newport for more than a quarter of a century in the summer of 2016.
They will take on Pakistan A in a 50-overs encounter on 15 July at Spytty Park. The county previously played at the Rodney Parade ground between 1936 and 1990

 

Gloucestershire have signed Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Cameron Bancroft as cover for captain Michael Klinger, until the captain returns to the club at the end of May.

 

Surrey seamer David Balcombe has retired from professional cricket in order to take up a role with the Kevin Pietersen Foundation.

 

Yorkshire seamer Josh Shaw has joined County Championship Division Two club Gloucestershire on a season-long loan

 

Kent are in advanced talks to sign South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
The 20-year-old pace man was the top wicket-taker in the recent Test series against England, taking 22 wickets at an average of 21.90 in three matches.
Rabada could make his debut at Canterbury in late June after playing in South Africa's tri-series with Australia and the West Indies.

 

County champions Yorkshire have signed Australia batsman Travis Head for the second half of the 2016 season.
The 22-year-old will replace New Zealand's Kane Williamson from 18 July and play in all three formats

 

Kent have signed South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada as an overseas player for a spell in June and July.
Rabada will move to Kent in June after playing in South Africa's tri-series with Australia and the West Indies.
He is eligible for six T20 Blast matches, two Championship games and one One-Day Cup fixture.

 

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have named an experienced squad for the English county season's annual curtain-raiser against Yorkshire next month.
The team, led by Ian Bell, includes James Tredwell, Scott Borthwick, Rikki Clarke and Graham Onions, who have all played Test cricket for England.
Surrey pair Rory Burns and Ben Foakes are also in the side, along with Essex batsmen Nick Browne and Tom Westley.
The four-day Champion County match in Abu Dhabi starts on Sunday, 20 March.
A T20 tournament takes place beforehand, with Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara part of the MCC squad.
The competition on Friday, 18 March will be contested by Yorkshire, MCC, Lancashire and the United Arab Emirates

MCC squad (in batting order):
Nick Browne (Essex)
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire, Captain)
Tom Westley (Essex)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire)
James Harris* (Middlesex) CC Match Only
James Tredwell (Kent)
Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire)
Graham Onions (Durham)
Kumar Sangakkara** (Surrey) T20 Only

 

Kent have signed New Zealand opening batsman Tom Latham for the 2016 English season and he will be available for all formats.
Latham, 23, is Kent's second significant recent signing after they brought Kagiso Rabada to the club for a month in mid-season.

 

Surrey have announced Michael Di Venuto as their new head coach on a three-year deal to replace Graham Ford who has recently returned to work with Sri Lanka.

 

Gloucestershire looking strong for this season, Bancroft and Tye are good signings

 

Hampshire have re-signed Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi for this summer's T20 Blast tournament.
The 35-year-old, who last played for the county in 2011, will be available for the whole competition

 

Bowler Peter Siddle has cancelled his Nottinghamshire deal for 2016 because of a stress fracture in his back.

 

Surrey have signed South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris as an overseas player for the second half of their T20 Blast campaign.
Morris will join the Oval side in July when West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo leaves south London to play in the Caribbean Premier League.
The 28-year-old will be available for Surrey's final six group matches.

 

Kent have released all-rounder Ben Harmison following four seasons at the St Lawrence Ground.
The 30-year-old joined from Durham at the end of 2011 and scored four centuries during his time for Kent.

 

Worcestershire have made a sixth successive annual profit, in chief executive David Leatherdale's final full year in charge at New Road.
Despite being relegated to Division Two of the County Championship, Worcestershire have announced a surplus after tax of £182,412 for the 12-month period ending 31 December, 2015.

 

The England and Wales Cricket board has announced a four-year title sponsorship deal for the County Championship with Specsavers.

Got to be a joke in there somewhere!

 

Derbyshire have signed New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham for this summer's T20 Blast competition.
The 25-year-old will join compatriots Hamish Rutherford and Neil Broom at the County Ground