Gloucestershire has announced the acquisition of three loan seam bowlers to strengthen their squad as they approach the latter stages of the County Championship season. The additions come as a response to a series of injuries affecting their pace battery.
James Hayes makes a return from Nottinghamshire, where he previously competed in the Vitality Blast earlier this year. Alongside Hayes, Gloucestershire has brought in left-arm pacer JT Langridge from Somerset and fast bowler Mitch Killeen from Essex. All three players are expected to make their Gloucestershire debuts in the upcoming match against Division Two leaders Durham at the Riverside, starting Thursday.
Hayes’ earlier contributions were instrumental in Gloucestershire’s journey to the Vitality Blast quarter-finals, securing victories against Worcestershire and Surrey while taking three crucial wickets. Subsequently, he featured prominently in Nottinghamshire’s Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign, where he claimed 12 wickets and played a leading role in their semi-final run. Over his career, Hayes has made three first-class appearances, including his debut while on loan at Sussex, where he dismissed New Zealand international Henry Nicholls.
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Devon-born Langridge has represented Somerset 11 times in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, gathering 13 wickets with best figures of 3-63. Gloucestershire’s director of cricket, Jon Lewis, commented, “JT Langridge has excellent statistics from the Somerset second eleven. He is a promising left-arm fast bowler with good pace. We hope his impact will be significant.”
This summer, Langridge has shone in the Second Eleven Championship, securing 12 wickets across four matches and ranking third among the leading wicket-takers. His standout performance came against Kent, where he recorded career-best figures of 5-69. At 20 years old, Langridge is regarded as one of the county circuit’s most promising young bowlers, noted for his combination of pace, control, and consistency. His talent has also been recognised at the international level, having represented England Under-19s on tours to India and matches against Ireland.
Essex fast bowler Mitch Killeen, whose father Neil played for Durham and where Mitch began his career, has made three first-class appearances, taking 11 wickets. He made his County Championship debut for Durham in 2025 against Somerset at Chester-le-Street, delivering a five-wicket haul with figures of 5-36 from 10 overs.
Killeen debuted in List A cricket for Durham at 17 in August 2022 against Nottinghamshire. This season, representing Essex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, he has been notably economical, maintaining an economy rate of 4.66.
In other team news, Gloucestershire batter Ben Charlesworth will miss the remainder of the season and will not feature for the club again. After further evaluation of a hip injury sustained earlier this summer, Charlesworth will continue his rehabilitation and subsequently join Lancashire ahead of the 2027 season.
Charlesworth, a product of Gloucestershire’s development pathway, debuted for the club as a teenager and became a consistent first-team player over six seasons. He contributed significantly with both bat and ball across all three formats, playing a key role in notable triumphs, including Gloucestershire’s 2024 Vitality Blast victory.