Durham’s seam-bowling stocks will look rather different next summer. Mitchell Killeen, the 20-year-old all-rounder who took 5 for 36 on his County Championship bow in April, has accepted a two-year contract at Essex beginning 2026. In response, Durham have lined up Kasey Aldridge from Somerset and Archie Bailey from Gloucestershire, each on three-year deals, with both players due to link up immediately in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Killeen’s decision ends a family association stretching back to his father, former Durham quick and current England bowling consultant Neil Killeen. Since debuting in the 2022 One-Day Cup he has managed nine List A and three first-class appearances, plus England Under-19 caps and outings for the Professional County Club XI. A productive Second-XI campaign last year – more than 400 runs and 18 wickets – underlined his promise.
“I am really excited to be joining Essex for the 2026 season,” Mitchell Killeen said. “Essex have an excellent squad of cricketers and have obviously enjoyed some great success in recent years. Once Chris Silverwood got in touch, I knew that I wanted to be involved with what he is trying to build at Chelmsford.
“I feel my cricket is developing and I will be doing my best to push hard for regular first team cricket. I know a few of the younger players from my time with England Under-19s and I can’t wait to meet the rest of the squad ahead of next season.”
Essex have already secured Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire and see Killeen as another step towards refreshing an attack that, while effective, has grown older together. The club believe a younger seam quartet could share workloads across formats, particularly on a Chelmsford surface that has occasionally asked for extra pace.
Back at the Riverside, director of cricket Marcus North wasted little time plugging the gap. Aldridge, 24 and 6ft 5in, played for England at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup and earned a Lions call-up. A Blast loan with Durham earlier this summer produced a maiden T20 five-for against Nottinghamshire and, in five Championship outings for Somerset, 12 wickets at useful economy. “We’re delighted that Kasey has chosen to join Durham, and we have been able to secure the signing of a highly talented bowling allround,” Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket, said. “At only 24, Kasey has already established great foundations in all formats of his game, and we look forward to nurturing this very exciting talent in his next stage of his career at Durham.”
Somerset confirmed Aldridge’s exit last week, lumped in with the departures of Ben Green and Josh Davey. “All three players were offered contract extensions,” Andy Hurry, their director of cricket said. “However, they have taken the decision to seek enhanced playing opportunities elsewhere and we must respect that decision.”
Bailey, 20, has followed the traditional Gloucestershire pathway from Under-18s to senior cricket, showing decent pace and an ability to swing the new ball. His loan spell in the current One-Day Cup is designed to familiarise him with Durham coaches before winter training blocks. “While it’s never easy to say goodbye, I’m excited about what lies ahead and will always look back on my time at Gloucestershire with pride and gratitude,” Bailey said.
If all three moves clear ECB paperwork, Durham’s 2026 seam roster could feature Aldridge, Bailey, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Ben Raine and Paul Coughlin – an attack with height, variety and, crucially, age on its side. Essex, meanwhile, will hope Killeen and Akhter blossom quickly enough to support Jamie Porter and Sam Cook. For both counties the business feels as much about 2028 as 2026, yet the immediate fixture list will show whether the reshuffle brings the desired balance.
