Northamptonshire have moved early in the overseas market, confirming that Yuzvendra Chahal and Harry Conway will be back at Wantage Road next summer, while Somerset have taken advantage of the ongoing turnover at Gloucestershire by signing seamer Josh Shaw.
Conway, 33, impressed during a short 2025 stint – 20 wickets in four County Championship matches told its own story – and has agreed to be around from the first ball of the 2026 season. Subject to national duty, the Australian is pencilled in for the opening seven Championship fixtures in April and May.
Chahal’s return is no surprise. The Indian leg-spinner has enjoyed two productive summers in Northampton, collecting 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A cricket. He will arrive for the second half of the campaign, dovetailing Championship duty with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
“Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire head coach Darren Lehmann said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.”
Lehmann expects Chahal’s presence to rub off on younger slow bowlers. “For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”
On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”
Northants have also secured a two-year deal for Louis Kimber, the Leicestershire batter whose reputation mainly rests on white-ball power but who famously pummelled 243 from 127 balls at Hove in 2023. “Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann noted. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”
While Northamptonshire look settled, Gloucestershire’s dressing-room door keeps revolving. Shaw, 29, is the sixth seamer to exit Bristol since the end of the season, following Ajeet Singh Dale, Zaman Akhter, Archie Bailey, Tom Price and Dom Goodman.
Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry has long admired Shaw’s swing-and-seam skillset. “We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Hurry said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.
“We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”
There is little sign yet of a counter-flurry of new arrivals at Gloucestershire, so the emphasis during the winter is likely to be on promoting academy graduates. Northants, by contrast, appear to have their overseas workload mapped out, with Chahal and Conway handing Lehmann both proven quality and valuable continuity.
