Lancashire have persuaded Gloucestershire all-rounder Ben Charlesworth to sign a three-year contract, starting on 1 November and running through to the close of the 2029 summer. The 25-year-old will finish the current campaign at Bristol, then head north to Emirates Old Trafford in time for winter training.
That makes Charlesworth the seventh first-team regular to depart Gloucestershire since last season. The left-handed opener – who also sends down useful right-arm seam – will bump into a familiar face in Manchester, with Ajeet Singh Dale having trodden the same path earlier in the year.
Why the rush? Two days before Gloucestershire’s season opener against Middlesex, the club admitted contract talks had stalled after six months. They then gave Charlesworth permission to speak with other counties ahead of the usual 1 June window – a fairly unusual move that signalled the end was nigh. Lancashire moved quickly, and by the time the sides met at Old Trafford last week – Lancashire winning to go top of Division Two, Gloucestershire slipping to the bottom – most on the circuit suspected a deal was close.
For the record, Charlesworth made 26 and 13 in that match. Hardly headline numbers, yet his broader CV is solid: 2,869 first-class runs, 33 wickets, four hundreds (all in the last two seasons) and a career-best 914 Championship runs in 2025. He chipped in with 221 runs during Gloucestershire’s T20 Blast triumph in 2024, too. In short, he covers a few bases and, crucially for Lancashire, strengthens the squad’s left-hand/right-arm balance.
“I am really excited to be joining Lancashire,” said Charlesworth. “It’s a club with a proud history and strong ambitions across all formats.
“I know Ajeet Singh Dale and Will Porterfield (assistant coach) well from their time at Gloucestershire, and they have spoken very highly about the set-up at Lancs and at Emirates Old Trafford.
“I am looking forward to taking this next challenge in my career and contributing to a successful Lancashire side for the seasons ahead.”
Lancashire’s Director of Cricket Performance, Mark Chilton, has been tracking the player since age-group level and was understandably pleased.
“Ben is a player we have tracked closely for some time, and we are delighted to have secured his services from the 2027 season onwards.
“His ability to contribute across multiple areas of the game makes him a valuable addition to our squad, particularly with his capability to bat in different positions and provide a seam bowling option.
“Ben has shown great promise over the past couple of seasons, and we believe he has the potential to develop even further here at Emirates Old Trafford once he joins up in November.
“I would also like to thank Jon Lewis at Gloucestershire for allowing us to approach Ben and complete the deal ahead of the usual first of June window for out of contract players.”
From Gloucestershire’s perspective, the departures keep stacking up and their Division Two points tally – three from the first three games – tells its own story. Replacing an experienced opener who can also roll his arm over will not be straightforward. For Lancashire, already eyeing promotion back to the top flight, the move feels like another calculated step towards long-term squad depth.
County moves often look tidy on paper and messy in reality; this one has been the other way round. The paperwork is done early, everyone knows where they stand, and Charlesworth gets a full summer to sign off properly at Bristol before beginning the next chapter up the M6.
