Cricket South Africa have brought centrally-contracted players home for the start of their summer, leaving several clubs without key overseas signings for the County Championship run-in.
David Bedingham (Durham), Simon Harmer (Essex) and Kyle Verreynne (Nottinghamshire) will all miss the final three rounds of Championship fixtures as a result of CSA’s edict, with South Africa due to begin a packed home Test summer – which features series against Australia, Bangladesh and England – on October 9.
Nottinghamshire announced on Monday that they have brought in the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay for the Championship run-in as they look to secure back-to-back Division One titles. Durham, who are top of Division Two and eyeing the title, have already secured the services of Mayank Agarwal to replace Bedingham.
Essex said last month that they were in talks with CSA over Harmer’s availability, since he is on a ‘hybrid’ central contract, but have confirmed that he will not feature at Headingley this week. They are in the midst of an availability crisis, and will also be without Sam Cook, Jordan Cox (Test call-ups), Charlie Bennett, Noah Thain, MacKenzie Jones and Simon Fernandes (injured).
Worcestershire, meanwhile, have confirmed that they will be without all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel for the rest of the season after he flew home “to attend to matters relating to his domestic cricket commitments”.
Elsewhere, Gloucestershire have signed the young fast bowler Barbados-born fast bowler Che Simmons from Warwickshire on loan ahead of a permanent move.
