As another County cricket season begins, fans around the country rejoice as they finally find ways to fill hours and hours of monotonous work: BBC Sport. Cricinfo. YouTube Livestreams. What last month was work with a sprinkling of cricket can become County Championship deep diving with an email or two. Gray-Nicolls, as ever, fully support this notion.
Gray-Nicolls will also be right at the heart of the action, with our cricket bats, batting pads and gloves used across the country as cricketers look to make their name, top the run charts and put their case across for international selection. And with the England management set to dip into County Cricket for its next stars, this could be the biggest opportunity for stars of the domestic scene in the last decade.
In this blog we’ll look at some of the names that might just light up the County Championship this summer – some you’ll have heard of and some you might not have. Come back in September and tell us how we got on with our predictions!
Ben McKinney – Durham
Big Ben is a giant – 6ft 7 to be precise – and his batting has huge potential too. He’s an opener in the ilk of Matthew Hayden. Imposing and dominant and keen to take the attack to the bowlers, the left hander captained England in the under 19 world cup in 2023 and has four first class centuries to his name already. He has also impressed in an England Lions jersey, so a strong start to the Championship could see him in the reckoning for full international honours.
McKinney will be using Imperia
Tawanda Muyeye – Kent
The story of Tawanda Muyeye is compelling enough before you even mention cricket. His family came to England from Zimbabwe as refugees back in 2010s and Tawanda received a scholarship to Eastbourne College where his cricket continued to excel. Kent signed Muyeye following some eye-catching performances, and he has shown himself to be a shrewd signing. His style is flamboyant and hard hitting; a middled ball from Tawanda isn’t staying in any ground. If he can find a level of consistency to his game then it will be impossible for England to ignore him once his qualification period is over.
Muyeye will be using Imperia
Ben Geddes – Middlesex
Probably the name on the list that the fewest people will recognise, Ben Geddes has quietly been building himself into a gem of a cricketer for Middlesex. Developed in Surrey’s academy, Geddes moved across the river Thames seeing his opportunities at his home club diminishing with established stars and new signings in his way. At Lord’s (and Radlett), Geddes has gone from strength to strength. Having played a combined 6 first class games before 2025, he turned out 14 times for Middlesex in debut season, scoring his maiden ton (3rd first class in total) at an average of 37 with six half centuries. Now established, Geddes could be the key batter for his club as they look to bounce back to the top division.
Geddes will be using Fusion
Tom Haines – Sussex
Tom Haines has been on the scene for a while now – from precocious youngster to captain to batting stalwart – the Sussex left-hander has been at the heart of his club for the best part of a decade. And this year, Sussex will be heavily reliant on Haines top order runs as they look to put their off-field issues to one side. Strong outside off, Tom will cut and drive at any point in his innings, rarely giving bowlers the time to settle. He toured Australia with the England Lions putting in some strong performances so is clearly on the international radar; a couple of early season triple figure scores will push his name to the top of the list – especially in Division One.
Haines will be using Imperia
James Wharton – Yorkshire
In 2025 we saw the potential of James Wharton. In a Yorkshire squad featuring such luminaries as Harry Brook, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow (albeit with mixed availability), Wharton showed his strengths in the top four for the historic county. While his numbers weren’t standout, those that watched enough of him saw the upside – a batter who can dig in, bat for long periods, and turn it on when necessary. Now established in the side, this should be the year we see James Wharton battling at the top of the averages.
Wharton will be using Havoc this summer.
As excitement builds and players put the finishing touches on their preparations, the opportunity grows for someone to make their stamp on the season. A winter of hard work will come to fruition and the next great England batter could emerge.
We’re so here for it.
