Bracey to stay with Gloucestershire until 2028
Wicketkeeper James Bracey has signed a new three-year contract with Gloucestershire to keep him at the club until the end of 2028. The 27-year-old vice captain has made 192 appearances across all formats since his debut for the county in 2016.In 2024 he enjoyed one of his best campaigns, taking his dismissal total to 37 in T20 cricket to surpass Steve Adshead's Gloucestershire record, as the club secured the Blast title in September. A left-handed batter he also amassed almost 1,100 runs in the County Championship last season including two double centuries and scored a first-class best of 207 not out against Leicestershire in August."[I'm] really happy to sign a long-term deal where I can continue to try and really work on the project we've got going here, and start to bring some success across all formats of the game," Bracey told the club website., externalBracey, who played two Test matches for England in 2021, is due to skipper the team for their County Championship Division Two opener away to Derbyshire when it begins on Friday, with captain Cameron Bancroft not due to join the team until next week. "We are passionate about our cricket here, and James is the epitome of that," said head coach Mark Alleyne."His presence and commitment last year was exceptional, and his reward was a stellar season and a new contract."
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BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Understated Dawson shows England magic they've been missing
Tall or short. Right-arm or left. Leg-spin, off-spin or Dan Mousley's men bowled spin for England between Liam Dawson's 20th and 21st international bowler Ollie Robinson has even turned his arm over with some offies during a miserable Ashes defeat in Adelaide since Dawson's last in taking 4-20 against West Indies in the hosts' 21-run win in the first T20, Dawson gave a hint at what England have been missing."I have not played international cricket for three-and-a-half years," the 35-year-old told BBC Test Match Special."To contribute to a win is a really special feeling." Even that sentence tells you had, in fact, been two years and six months since Dawson's last England appearance but he would be forgiven for thinking it had been an England squad was named - or they lost a Test - Dawson's absence was a hotly-contested times verging on culture-war status, county fans were dumfounded the leading English spinner in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024 was being consistently managing director Rob Key famously said Dawson was "not someone who wants to go around India as the 15th or 16th man" after leaving him out of a Test then, Dawson had accepted the call from England would never come again."Probably not," he said on Friday, when asked if he expected this international comeback to happen."For a couple of years I have not expected to play."I want to go out and enjoy my cricket, whoever I am playing for. To come back and do well, I am very proud and it is pleasing."Dawson has shown - from Lord's to Lahore, Dubai to Durban - he a dependable operator in his time away from international cricket. He has been a regular pick on the franchise circuit and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in at the start of a new era under captain Harry Brook, in need of wins to halt a slide that has lasted 18 months, England finally realised that dependable was no longer a criticism but a strength."I have played against Daws quite a bit," said Brook. "I played with him for England a few times."He's such a good bowler. He's good bloke as well, which helps."Recalling Dawson was not solely Brook's decision, although it is significant the comeback came for the Yorkshireman's first T20 series in three poor white-ball tournaments in a row, Key said earlier this year England had to improve their bowling of left-arm spin in a hint at what was to come for an outfit that had previously packed their side with pace. Dawson, meanwhile, admits he does not try to do anything "flash".While Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have their high release points and Rehan Ahmed his googly, Dawson is a throwback - the old-school magician who can still deceive you with two hands and a pack of cards, without the need for saws, fire and flashing Chester-le-Street, he outfoxed West Indies with that understated routine of conceding only four runs from the first over, Dawson struck in his extra loop, he dropped 10mph from his previous delivery and found the sharpest turn in the match. Johnson Charles charged towards him to be left stranded and there, after two opening overs that cost only seven, Dawson rested and West Indies returned, the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford on strike, and the spinner delivered for Brook as the left-hander hit to credit for that one would be generous, Dawson's next scalp - two balls later - came with another drop in pace and, crucially, a wider outside off stump Roston Chase gave Ben Duckett another catch in the deep to make England huge favourites once boundaries flowed at the other end - younger men Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts among those punished - Dawson was not hit to the rope until his fourth dangerous Rovman Powell struck him for four twice but a ball later Dawson changed and flatter he went, Powell was bowled and Dawson had his best T20 international 4-20 was also the best by a left-arm spinner for England in the format. Key could hardly have asked for backdrop to England's win is the T20 World Cup that looms next year. They have only 12 matches in this format before travelling to India and Sri Lanka, where spin is expected to be crucial."That's not even come into my thoughts," said Dawson, when asked if he had one eye on making that World Cup squad."I'm just happy to be back involved in this, take one game at a time and enjoy every time I play."Dawson was an unused squad member when England won the 50-over World Cup in years on, he may finally be the one they need.
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Harry Brook has been England's T20 captain for exactly one match but admitted he was already taking decisions with one eye on next year's World Cup. Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Jos Buttler proves T20 credentials once again as England triumph over West Indies
Jos Buttler played a captain's innings in his first T20 appearance since giving up the role as he and the returning Liam Dawson carried England to a 21-run victory over the West Indies. Buttler helped new skipper Harry Brook secure a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series but took centre stage for himself as the teams switched formats in Durham, smashing four sixes and six boundaries in a match-winning turn of 96 in 59 balls. Brook has made it clear he views his predecessor as the best white-ball batter in the world and Buttler made good on that billing, with England building a total of 188 for six and an advantage they refused to squander. Dawson ensured his work did not go to waste, marking his return after almost three years in the international wilderness with an outstanding four for 20 as the tourists managed 167 for nine. The 35-year-old's left-arm spin has been deemed surplus to requirements since 2022 but his consistently impressive returns at Hampshire have earned him a belated second chance and he took it greedily at the Banks Homes Riverside. England roared out of the traps, Jamie Smith smiting the second ball of the match down the ground, then helping himself to two more boundaries before Jason Holder's first over was done. Romario Shepherd nipped Ben Duckett out with a slower ball at the other end but that success came with strings attached – ushering Buttler to the crease with the majority of the powerplay still in front of him. He made enthusiastic use of the fielding restrictions, launching into a tirade. He flicked between two distinct modes of attack – hitting long, hard and straight or bamboozling his opponent with reverse sweeps and ramps. England took 45 off 12 legal deliveries in the fifth and sixth overs, Smith heaving Andre Russell over the ropes twice before Buttler tucked into Alzarri Joseph with abandon. Joseph, theoretically the high-speed enforcer of the attack, was thoroughly de-fanged as Buttler struck three sixes and a four in successive deliveries. Gudakesh Motie applied the brakes with some smart spin bowling, hustling through four overs for 21, and the pressure helped his team make inroads. Smith (38) failed to clear the deep-midwicket fielder, Brook got his footwork wrong as Roston Chase bowled him for six and Tom Banton lasted just four balls before Russell had him lbw. Having scored 108 in the first half of their innings, England decelerated with 80 off the back half. Buttler remained their most dangerous asset but fell lbw four short of his ton, Joseph managing a rare success in an otherwise chastening outing. England trusted Dawson with the new ball as he returned from his long exile and he more than met the challenge. There were just two runs from his first two visits, plus the stumping of Johnson Charles as he misread a slower ball. Shai Hope followed, gifting a wicket to hometown debutant Matthew Potts, but Evin Lewis briefly swaggered with a powerful 39 off 23 balls. A one-over experiment with Jacob Bethell's part-timers cost 24 runs but also ended the assault as Lewis failed to clear the long leg-side boundary and was well caught by Brydon Carse. That was the cue for Dawson to return and he killed off what remained of the fight in a polished comeback. Sherfane Rutherford and Chase both sprung the trap at long-on before Rovman Powell was castled by a quicker one that speared into his stumps. Adil Rashid, Bethell and the expensive Potts kept the wickets coming to make it 1-0 ahead of Sunday's clash in Bristol.
