Whilst the modern cricketer increasingly emerges into the spotlight through performances in T20 cricket, the County Championship continues to provide a platform for young talent to showcase themselves.
One such example of this is Somerset’s Archie Vaughan, who impressed in the latter stages of last season and will be looking to progress further with both bat and ball in 2025.
Here, we highlight a selection of young players who could make significant strides for their respective counties in the upcoming campaign.
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Harry Moore (Derbyshire) – Age 17
Described as the “best 17-year-old I’ve ever coached” by Mickey Arthur, Harry Moore is already on his way to becoming the first Derbyshire player to represent England since Dominic Cork in 1995.
The teenage fast bowler made his debut in 2023 but had a breakthrough campaign in the One-Day Cup last year, where he claimed 10 wickets and also showed his ability with the bat, before going on to feature in the final three County Championship games of the season.
Having already represented England at Under-19 level, Moore was also picked up by the Birmingham Phoenix in the recent Hundred draft.
He has signed a new three-year deal with Derbyshire ahead of his first full season, where he will have the experience of Zak Chappell, Pat Brown and Kiwi overseas player Blair Tickner to draw upon.
James Minto (Durham) – Age 17
Durham have a reputation for developing England fast bowlers and James Minto could one day be another name added to that list.
Minto made his County Championship debut towards the end of last season against Surrey at The Oval, becoming the club’s youngest first-class player, and went viral for a sharp bouncer which unsettled former England Test opener Rory Burns.
Already clocked at 87mph, the left-armer was part of the England Under-19 squad in South Africa this winter and enjoyed a successful pre-season trip to Zimbabwe with Durham.
He struck up a new-ball partnership with Matthew Potts, taking eight wickets across the two games.
Tom Prest (Hampshire) – Age 22
Tom Prest is by no means a novice to county cricket, having made his first-class debut for his home county in 2021, and averaged 48.50 last campaign at a very healthy strike rate.
There will be a greater onus this season on the former England Under-19 captain, who scored a career-best 156 against Essex in August last year.
Hampshire are without the talismanic figure of James Vince in their ranks for the first time since 2009 after he opted to ditch the format and only play in the T20 Blast.
James Wharton (Yorkshire) – Age 24
Another batter who has had a few years of experience under his belt and is set for a potentially big season is Yorkshire’s James Wharton, who ended the 2024 campaign in remarkable fashion.
The tall right-hander contributed 833 runs in just nine matches as Yorkshire sealed promotion, including 188 against Derbyshire at Chesterfield and a standout 285 against Northamptonshire in the final round of games – the fifth highest individual first-class score at Headingley.
Having already notched a T20 century in 2023, Wharton now gets the chance to test his ability in Division One.
England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook are unlikely to feature on a regular basis – and Wharton picked up where he left off as he warmed up for the new season by scoring 98 from 86 balls against Lancashire in a recent two-day friendly.
Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire) – Age 17
The younger brother of England international Rehan, Farhan Ahmed made an immediate impression on his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire last year as he bowled a mammoth 50.4 overs in the first innings against Surrey and claimed figures of 7-140.
His 10 wickets for the match made him the youngest player in county cricket history to do so.
The lack of depth in England’s spin bowling resources makes the young off-spinner even more of an exciting proposition, having already featured for the England Under-19s in World Cup and Test squads at the age of just 15.
With Liam Patterson-White and Calvin Harrison also at their disposal though, Farhan may have to sit out at the beginning of the season until the time comes to play two frontline spinners later on in the campaign.
Other names to keep an eye out for
Jack Carson (Sussex) – 24-year-old off-spinner who registered 50 wickets last season as Sussex clinched the Division Two title.
James Sales (Northamptonshire) – 22-year-old all-rounder who hit a career-best 135 in 2024 and will be working under new head coach Darren Lehmann at Northamptonshire.
Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire) – 18-year-old England Lions batter who may have a more senior role to play this year as Warwickshire search for improvement in the red ball side.
READ MORE: Four players on England’s radar in 2025: Ben McKinney, Sam Cook and more
