James Minto signs first professional Durham deal through 2028

Durham have given James Minto his first professional contract, agreeing a two-year deal that keeps the 18-year-old bowling all-rounder at the club through the end of the 2028 season. The agreement moves the left-arm seamer on from rookie terms, according to the club's announcement and BBC Sport's report on the signing.

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Born in Stockton, Minto came through the Cleveland programme and first represented Durham at under-14 level before joining the academy in 2024. His senior career began that year with a One-Day Cup appearance against Worcestershire at New Road. The new agreement extends a progression from the county's youth teams into its professional squad.

Minto made his first-class debut against Surrey at The Oval when he was 16. He has since played seven matches at that level and taken 14 wickets, BBC Sport reported. Durham listed his best bowling figures as five for 21 against Zimbabwe A in Harare and said he had collected 16 wickets for the county across red-ball and white-ball cricket.

His batting has also produced a club milestone. Minto scored 67 against Nottinghamshire in the 2025 County Championship, becoming Durham's youngest first-class half-centurion at the age of 17. Alongside his first-class and One-Day Cup appearances, he has played one T20 Blast match, giving him senior experience in all three formats while still a teenager.

At international youth level, Minto was part of the England Under-19 squad that finished runner-up at the 2025/26 World Cup in Zimbabwe, Durham said. He has continued to feature for the Young Lions in both red-ball and white-ball matches. Director of cricket Ryan Campbell cited his performances for Durham and England's youth side in explaining the decision to reward him with professional terms.

Campbell said the signing formed part of Durham's longer-term planning for their bowling attack, alongside Matthew Potts and Luke Robinson, and indicated further contract extensions were due to be announced. Minto described signing professional terms with his home county as a goal he had worked towards and said he wanted to contribute on the field in the coming years.