Murphy signs up for county stint but won't use Dukes

Todd Murphy will become the second Australian Test cricketer to turn out for division two county side Gloucestershire this season after securing a two-month deal.

The 24-year-old's stint marks his first foray into the County Championship, and coincides with the competition's experiment with the Kookaburra ball.

Murphy will play four matches for Gloucestershire, all with the Kookaburra in the ECB's second year of using it during the County Championship.

He will join Glos ahead of their home game in Bristol against Derbyshire from June 22 before travelling across the Severn Bridge to face Glamorgan in Cardiff.

There will be a fortnight's break as the county plays T20 fixtures which Murphy, who plays in the BBL with the Sydney Sixers, is not signed for, before two matches in Cheltenham, against Lancashire and Middlesex to end his stint.

"I am really pleased to have signed with Gloucestershire. I've always wanted to play county cricket in England, and I am thankful that Gloucestershire has given me this opportunity," Murphy said in a statement.

Murphy is understood to have been lined up to be the front-line spinner for the Australia A first-class matches against Sri Lanka in Darwin before the Gloucestershire opportunity arose.

He was due to play for Durham in 2023, the year in which he made his Test debut, but that stint was aborted as Cricket Australia managed his workload with that year's Ashes tour in mind.

Murphy went on to play in the third and fifth Tests for Australia that series after Nathan Lyon's calf injury at Lord's, and picked up six wickets in the final match at The Oval.

Use of and exposure to the Dukes ball normally used in county cricket is one of the main draws for Australians taking up roles in the English summer, as was the case for fellow Test player Cameron Green, who featured earlier this season on his return to the game following back surgery last year.

"I got exactly what I wanted out of it," Green told the Unplayable Podcast of his Gloucestershire stint. "Just to get back playing some professional cricket was exactly what I needed after a few months off.

"It was probably just a certain way how to play the Dukes ball. A bit more of an understanding of when the Duke's ball is really tough to play and when it might be a touch easier.

"I think it's been said a lot of times ... defending straight, scoring a bit squarer than you do in Australia, just little things like that.

"I'm really happy I was able to get exposed to it."

Glos head coach Mark Alleyne said he was delighted to have Murphy join a squad that is captained by Western Australian Cameron Bancroft.

"I'm really excited for the arrival of Todd, who will be joining a group in fine Championship fettle," Alleyne said.

"He is a spin bowler with brilliant pedigree and experience on the international stage and will complement our bowling group really well over the next four Championship games.

"These matches will be played with a Kookaburra ball which he is really familiar with, and the fans will enjoy his tenacious offering."

Australians in County Cricket for 2025

Derbyshire: Caleb Jewell

Durham: Brendan Doggett (April-May)

Essex: Maddie Penna (T20 Blast only)

Glamorgan: Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Hayden Kerr (T20 Blast)

Gloucestershire: Cameron Bancroft, Cameron Green (April-May), D'Arcy Short (T20 Blast), Todd Murphy (June-July)

Hampshire: Ellyse Perry (July), Charli Knott (April-July), Jack Edwards (April-May)

Kent: Wes Agar, Tom Rogers (T20 Blast only)

Lancashire: Chris Green (June-July), Marcus Harris, Ashton Turner (June-July), Alana King (June-July), Katie Mack (April-June)

Leicestershire: Peter Handscomb

Northamptonshire: Lloyd Pope (T20 Blast only), Liam Guthrie (local player), Harry Conway (May)

Nottinghamshire: Moises Henriques (T20 Blast only), Fergus O'Neill (until April 28), Daniel Sams (T20 Blast only), Heather Graham (May-July)

Somerset: Riley Meredith, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Surrey: Grace Harris (T20 Blast only), Kurtis Patterson (May)

Sussex: Daniel Hughes, Nathan McAndrew (June-July), Gurinder Sandhu (June-July)

Warwickshire: Beau Webster, Laura Harris (T20 Blast)

Worcestershire: Ben Dwarshuis (T20 Blast only)

Yorkshire: Will Sutherland (T20 Blast + 2 County), Jordan Buckingham (four matches in May)