CAMERON Bancroft joins the Australian influx to England’s county cricket this winter, penning a deal to ply his trade with Somerset as he eyes a spot in Australia’s squad this winter.
Bancroft has piled up more than 2000 Shield runs across the past three Australian summers, capped by his 945 at 59 this summer in Western Australia’s Shield title win.

So far 20 Australian men have been confirmed to play with counties this winter across their first-class, one-day or T20 competitions, with the possibility of more to come.

For example, Todd Murphy, the Victorian off-spinner who burst onto the international scene on Australia’s Test tour of India that wound up earlier this month, is yet to be confirmed to be joining Durham, despite reports linking him with the club.

And Ashton Turner, fresh from a century in WA’s Shield win and leading the Perth Scorchers to the BBL|12 title, is yet to confirm a return to Durham where he played in last year’s T20 Blast campaign.

Bancroft is one of five Australians expected to figure in selectors’ thinking when they pick the squad for the World Test Championship final against India and the five-Test Qantas Ashes tour that follows.

Over the past three Sheffield Shield seasons Bancroft has hit 2,125 runs at 47.22 for Western Australia, with nine centuries.

He last played Test cricket for Australia on the 2019 Ashes tour, and a strong start to the county season at Somerset will only enhance his claim.

Queensland pair Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser are locked in for returns to Glamorgan, while Steve Smith will tune up with a four-game stint at Sussex in May.
Labuschagne has played with Glamorgan for every northern summer since 2019 when a breakout season saw him famously step into that year’s Lord’s Ashes Test as Smith’s concussion replacement.

Labuschagne signed a two-year deal in 2022 that will see him play all formats either side of the World Test Championship final and Ashes series.

Such is the influx of Aussies into the UK this winter, selectors may not need to pick an extended touring squad, knowing replacements will be readily available in country should they be required.

Victorian batters Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb will be plying their trade at Gloucestershire and Leicestershire respectively.

Handscomb, who previously captained Middlesex, will be hoping for a switch of fortunes with a switch of counties.

In the past two seasons with Middlesex, where he was club captain, Handscomb scored 447 runs at 22.35.
Having also played in England in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 season, Handscomb’s career average in England rises to 301.4, but has just one century in his 30 matches there.
Harris returns for a second season with Gloucestershire, having scored 726 at 42.70 with three hundreds there last season in Division 1.

He also performed well with Leicestershire in 2021 when he scored 655 at 54.58, with another three hundreds.
Will Sutherland makes his first trip to the UK for a stint with Essex to fulfil a long-held ambition to play in the County Championship.

He would likely have been part of the Australia A squad playing in New Zealand this weekend if not for the county deal, and after a stint as Victoria’s skipper where the side charged into the final, and starring in a losing cause in that final against WA, Sutherland is a star on the rise.

Australians in the County cricket
Essex: Daniel Sams (T20s only), Will Sutherland (until July 28)
Glamorgan: Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser
Gloucestershire: Marcus Harris
Hampshire: Nathan Ellis, Ben McDermott (both T20s only)
Kent: Kane Richardson (T20s)
Leicestershire: Peter Handscomb (April and May)
Northamptonshire: Chris Lynn (T20s), Sam Whiteman (until August), Andrew Tye (T20s)
Somerset: Peter Siddle (until July), Cameron Bancroft (until May 7)
Surrey: Sean Abbott (until July), Dan Worrall (UK passport)
Sussex: Nathan McAndrew (until July), Steve Smith (May 4-21)
Warwickshire: Glenn Maxwell (T20s)
Yorkshire: Mickey Edwards (UK passport(