From June 1st players out of contract this year can speak to other counties. Someone on twitter has put together a list of all the counties and the players who would be available. It may be an opportunity to add to our ranks.
There are some talented players who we should be looking at recruiting: Ben McKinney, Charlie Allison, Jordan Cox, Tom Banton are some of the batting names. Josh Bohannon would bolster any middle order. We should be interested in spinners such as Tom Hartley, Liam Patterson-White or Zafar Gohar, and replacing some of our ageing attack with young potential like Josh Hull, Mitch Stanley, Henry Crocombe or James Minto, who would surely benefit from working with Pop Welch.

In terms of the Bears staff, Rob Yates is the key player coming towards the end of his contract, and decisions will need to be made on Zen Malik, Hamza Sheikh, Che Simmons and Theo Wylie. Barker only signed for this season. Garton will be off the books too, I expect he will return to Sussex.

Lots for the management to consider.

KingofSpain wrote:

From June 1st players out of contract this year can speak to other counties. Someone on twitter has put together a list of all the counties and the players who would be available. It may be an opportunity to add to our ranks.
There are some talented players who we should be looking at recruiting: Ben McKinney, Charlie Allison, Jordan Cox, Tom Banton are some of the batting names. Josh Bohannon would bolster any middle order. We should be interested in spinners such as Tom Hartley, Liam Patterson-White or Zafar Gohar, and replacing some of our ageing attack with young potential like Josh Hull, Mitch Stanley, Henry Crocombe or James Minto, who would surely benefit from working with Pop Welch.

In terms of the Bears staff, Rob Yates is the key player coming towards the end of his contract, and decisions will need to be made on Zen Malik, Hamza Sheikh, Che Simmons and Theo Wylie. Barker only signed for this season. Garton will be off the books too, I expect he will return to Sussex.

Lots for the management to consider.

For me, Tom Banton ('coming hom'ish' - I seem remember he had a few matches with the 2nds, before going to the Pears?), would be a no brainer and Bohannon would also be a good shout, but both of them will be attractive to other Counties. We really need a new batter or two.

And a new spinner is a necessity - any one of Gohar, Patterson-White or Hartley. If we go for a(nother!) new seamer, he has to be a left armer. We tried Trodd a few times in the 2nds and he did well, but looks to be either staying with Hampshire or going elsewhere (he has turned out for Derby 2nds, without great success) - of the names on your list, KoS, Hull or Minto come into that category - Josh Hull would be my choice, but there will be a few Counties circling him, Minto would be a decent shout.

As for our guys, yes, difficult decisions on Shaikh, Simmons & Wylie. Shaikh has never done it for the 1sts (and having a very average season as 2nds Captain), Wylie seems to have gone astray (and now turning out regularly at weekends, for Shropshire) and Simmons is always injured. Malik & Yates must get extensions. Garton will definitely be off. Barker?

Shaikh is still only 20 so I think worth renewing - he may benefit from doing well in the ODC.

Simmons at 22 has just not played enough cricket to warrant keeping on. A shame but it happens to some fast bowlers.

What has happened to Wylie to mean he isn't playing?

Malik - keep
Garton - don't
Barker - depends on how his body holds up for the rest of the season

So many of those will definitely be staying at their current counties and are probably way down the line with renewing. Probably not actually very 'available' at all.

Our guys

Yates - keep. Decent opening bat, fantastic slip, best years ahead of him, plays all 3 formats.

Shaikh - keep, has to perform though when he next gets a chance.

Wylie - I remember watching him open with Ben McKinney in an u19 WC in one of the matches and he looked the better player. What has gone wrong here?

Zen - keep, he's done enough I think.

Garton - he may well want to move on.

Simmons - just dont know, probably keep, you can never have too many seamers. Is he actually that quick? He had an amazing debut a couple of year ago under difficult circumstances.

Barker - yeah keep. Bit different with him as he's coaching too.

I'm not sure about incomings, like others say we could do with a bat and a properly fast bowler, left arm so much the better, but lots of this is out of control...

... as for our own players I do wonder about Hamza. He has had first team and England rep experience and he seems to have done better with England. Seems to be on the fringes this year but has played a lot for the 2nds.

Simmons I think is a must-keep though - as he does seem fast and able to make things happen. I don't think he's that far behind. A sophomoric season last year when he was ill for a lot of it, young fast bowlers always seem to get stress fractures too, and is still 22. He's played every second team game I've looked at this year and seems he is being invested in. I see him in a long-term role similar to Booth.

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

Totally - was looking forward to that last year but as I recall that was just the point when he got ill...

Andy wrote:

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

Tom Banton would be an exceelnt signing, he's strengthen the side with both his batting and keeping.

As for our players who are out of contract, Simmons yes, but on a contract that is focused on appearance bonuses, Yates offer 12 months, with performance requirements, the others can be allowed to find new employers.

Tayls79 wrote:

Totally - was looking forward to that last year but as I recall that was just the point when he got ill...

Andy wrote:

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

I don't recall him being ill, not sure what happened with him. Can't remember.

How much would we actually see of Banton? What with IPL and Hundread etc.

Last season he played 10 championship and 10 T20 games at Somerset. With that level of availability he would be worth signing.

I might be wrong on timing and on exact diagnosis. It might be a cover for something else - but he definitely wasn't available for that part of last year and detailing of the injury seemed intentionally vague.

Andy wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

Totally - was looking forward to that last year but as I recall that was just the point when he got ill...

Andy wrote:

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

I don't recall him being ill, not sure what happened with him. Can't remember.

Highveld wrote:

Last season he played 10 championship and 10 T20 games at Somerset. With that level of availability he would be worth signing.

And this season?

I'd take Bohannon like a shot if he were available, although he's not much of a white ball player. Banton, on the other hand, has never really nailed red ball cricket at Somerset. He's a powerful limited overs guy but is that enough, especially given the other franchise opportunities he will get.
I get the feeling that we have quite a few youngsters who aren't quite living up to their promise. If we could fix that, looking elsewhere would be less of an issue.

TB 2026 3/3 T20 games, ) championship as he was playing IPL.

In the championship last season he averaged over 44 from 17 innings.

I feel he is well worth trying to sign.