10 Oxfordshire names to look out for in the 2024 County Cricket Season

After the annual six-month break for winter, 18 counties across England Wales return to action for the beginning of their 2024 season today after heavily rain-affected pre-season preparations.

Here are 10 names for Oxfordshire natives to keep their eyes on until September.

Oliver Price – Gloucestershire

Starting off a trio of brother pairings originating from Oxfordshire, now contracted to Gloucestershire is the 22-year-old Ollie Price.

After playing his youth cricket for Cumnor, the younger Price brother had a breakout season in 2023 after struggling to assert his position in the team since debuting three seasons ago.

In what was an underwhelming season for the Bristol-based side where they finished bottom of Division Two in the County Championship, unaided by poor fortune with weather affecting matches, Price managed 763 runs in 20 innings which included three centuries, spurring on a run of hardly breakable form from July until September.

The youngster also scored 575 runs in 10 innings in the One Day Cup- the third most of any player in the competition leading to his recent announcement of a new deal keeping him at the County Ground until 2026.

Accompanying his form with the bat, his knack for some useful off-spin when required also earned Price a place in the England Lions winter squads, playing three times against India A across January and February earlier this year.

James Coles – Sussex

One of three Oxfordshire originated players on the south coast county’s squad this year is youthful all-rounder James Coles.

Along with Ollie Price, Coles was also picked by the England Lions for their training camps in UAE and tour of India over the winter for his impressive 2023 campaign and potential which has been recognised for several years by Sussex.

Coles burst onto the scene in the final match of the 2020 season as a 16-year-old, becoming Sussex’s youngest ever debutant. Since dismissing England internationals Rory Burns and Ben Foakes on that occasion the Aston Rowant star has gone from strength to strength.

Despite a dream start to professional cricket with ball in hand, Coles took some time to find consistency in accumulating runs earlier in his career. However, the all-rounder heads into his fifth season representing Sussex off the back of an 849-run County Championship season where he averaged 42.45 and made a first-class best score of 180.

At just 20-years-and-three-days-old when Sussex begin their season against Northamptonshire, Coles has already spent time captaining Sussex’ second XI and taking responsibility for turning matches in Sussex’s favour with bat and through his left-arm spin on numerous occasions.

Ben Charlesworth – Gloucestershire

The elder of another Gloucestershire sibling duo is 23-year-old Ben Charlesworth.

The opening batter has had a tricky time adapting to professional cricket after a promising youth career at Abingdon Vale, Oxford and St Edward’s school where he and AJ Woodland broke a record for the school’s highest opening partnership, before earning an Oxfordshire senior call-up,  Gloucestershire debut at 17 and England under-19 caps.

However, long gone are the days of the promising youngster entering his seventh season playing professional cricket with no centuries to his name in 76 professional innings across all formats.

If Charlesworth can transfer his shown promise in talent and turn his eight First-Class 50s into 100s then Gloucestershire may have a county reliable on their hands, however with the addition of Australian international Cameron Bancroft to Gloucestershire’s ranks, the left-hander may struggle to assure his place in the first XI for the whole season.

Jack Taylor – Gloucestershire

The next Gloucestershire representative in the list is former Banbury player and Gloucestershire’s one-day captain, Jack Taylor.

The 32-year-old batting-all-rounder is now a seasoned professional as he enters his 15th season on the county circuit.

Generally plying his trade in the shorter formats of the game nowadays, Taylor struggles to break into a more stable red-ball Gloucestershire middle order since the starring season of the aforementioned, Ollie Price.

The middle-order batter operates at an average of 42.10 in one-day cricket with a healthy bowling average of 32.65 for the leg-spinning all-rounder.

Gloucestershire’s white-ball captain stepped down from T20 duties last season but will return to leading the side under new head coach Mark Alleyne in both the One Day Cup and the T20 Blast this season.

Tom Price – Gloucestershire

Following the trend of the county making history with three sets of brothers on the squad list is two-years Ollie’s senior, Tom Price.

The 24-year-old seam-bowler was unable to back up his starring 2022 season in Division One where he took 32 wickets across just eight matches averaging a remarkable 20.09 with as much consistency.

Despite arguably having moment of the season when he rescued Gloucestershire from 45-for-seven on day one against Worcestershire with a sensational century to then take a hat-trick later in the same day, Price’s season peaked and showed no signs of continuing his wicket taking form after that four-for-58 bowling innings last April.

With still only 45 professional matches to Price’s name and some inspired spells in the One Day Cup last season, the west country side have plenty of hope in the potential of the new-found all-rounder talents with the competition to be the best Price a point of motivation.

Harrison Ward – Sussex

Playing solely white-ball cricket for Sussex this season is 24-year-old left-handed batter Harrison Ward.

After struggles translating his second XI runs into his four First-Class matches in his career, managing only 32 runs in seven innings, Sussex have decided to put Ward on a white-ball contract for this season.

Starring primarily at the top of the order although initially breaking through as a middle-order power hitter, Ward has shown plenty of promise in the shortest format.

With two T20 half-centuries to his name already and a strike rate above 133, the former Horspath batter has taken Sussex from underdog to favourites with quickfire innings’ in his short career so far.

After also featuring in England XI’s in the European Cricket League and formerly England under-19s, Ward’s limited overs only contract will likely make him available for Oxfordshire in their NCCA campaigns, particularly early in the season.

Matt Taylor – Gloucestershire

Younger brother to white-ball captain Jack, Matt Taylor is a left-arm seamer who will represent Gloucestershire for a 14th consecutive season.

After debuting in 2011, just 16 days after his 17th birthday, Taylor has since enjoyed consistent success, offering a reliability in wicket taking for Gloucestershire.

Despite playing just six First-Class matches in his injury-hampered season in 2023, Taylor took 20 wickets, the most of any Gloucestershire seamer in their underperforming red-ball campaign.

The 29-year-old can hope to continue to be a reliable source for Mark Alleyne’s men in 2024 should he remain fit.

Gus Miller – Northamptonshire

Despite representing Bedfordshire in NCCA competitions, 22-year-old Gus Miller was Oxford-born and represented Oxford Downs as a teenager.

The Northants all-rounder has struggled to make a consistent breakthrough to the first XI making just five one-day and one T20 appearance.

With Northants’ relegation to Division Two in the County Championship, Miller could have more chances for first XI opportunities after a couple of notable second XI half-centuries last season.

Zach Lion Cachet – Sussex

The newest addition to the seaside County’s squad from the Oxfordshire player pathway connection is 20-year-old Zach Lion-Cachet who has signed for Sussex on a rookie deal.

The former Abingdon Vale youngster broke debuted last season with a score of 34 against Worcestershire in the One Day Cup after impressing in the second XI championship, scoring two centuries in just three matches, including against a Somerset second XI including newly capped England star, Shaoib Bashir.

On that form, Lion-Cachet could feature for Sussex in their First-Class campaign this season although his opportunities for game time will most likely be arise later in the season during the One Day Cup during July and August.

Should Lion-Cachet not be named in Sussex squads, he will also likely to be available for Oxfordshire for whom he represented in 2023.

Luke Charlesworth – Gloucestershire

The final player on our list is younger brother to Ben, son of former professional and now highly regarded coach, Graham and former Abingdon Vale teammate of Sussex’s aforementioned Lion-Cachet, is 21-year-old seam bowler Luke Charlesworth.

Charlesworth, who is on a rookie deal with Gloucestershire, picked up four wickets in his two First-Class fixtures last season, showing signs of potential with the wicket of Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel whose 1075-run season played a big part in the midlands county’s success.

After turning 21 a day before the season’s beginning, Charlesworth has already had plenty of exposure to First-Class talent, representing Exeter University against Gloucestershire and Somerset in pre-season in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

The seamer will likely feature in Gloucestershire’s second XI for the majority of the season however the squad trimming releases of Jared Warner and Paul van Meekeren at the end of 2023 and under new head coach Mark Alleyne, the youngster’s opportunity could present itself throughout the season.

With a One Day Cup debut likely, similarly to Lion-Cachet, Charlesworth’s exploits could be useful in Oxfordshire’s NCCA campaign during 2024.

Although from Cheltenham, Miles Hammond who represented Aston Rowant in 2014 while studying at St Edwards’ School in Oxford is also among the squad at Gloucestershire while seasoned professional and former England international, Samit Patel continues his county career. Patel, 39, who featured for Oxfordshire in their NCCA campaign in 2023 has transferred to Derbyshire from Nottinghamshire.