Nottinghamshire sign John Simpson from Sussex on two-year deal

Nottinghamshire have signed wicketkeeper John Simpson from Sussex on a two-year contract covering the County Championship and One-Day Cup, BBC Sport reports. The 38-year-old will move to Trent Bridge on an agreement extending beyond his 40th birthday, bringing experience gained across a 17-year professional career and spells with Middlesex and Sussex.

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Simpson has accumulated more than 14,000 runs in first-class and List A cricket. He spent over a decade at Middlesex, helping them win the Division One title in 2016, before joining Sussex in 2024. He also represented England in three one-day internationals in 2021. His new contract covers two formats rather than including the T20 Blast.

At Sussex, Simpson captained the county to promotion from Division Two and helped the team reach T20 Blast Finals Day in his first season. His Championship batting returns exceeded 1,000 runs in each of his first two campaigns at Hove. He scored 581 runs in the 2026 competition, when Sussex finished third, immediately ahead of Nottinghamshire. Simpson described his time at Sussex warmly while expressing enthusiasm about the move and the challenge awaiting him at his new club.

The signing also marks the end of South African wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne's spell with Nottinghamshire. Verreynne spent three years with the county and was part of the side that won the 2025 County Championship. His availability ended early in September following a call-up from Cricket South Africa, prompting Nottinghamshire to bring in New Zealand's Mitchell Hay on a short-term arrangement for the closing stages of their unsuccessful title defence.

Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores praised Simpson's record both behind the stumps and with the bat. In comments to the club website reported by the BBC, Moores also acknowledged Verreynne's contribution. He explained that recruiting Simpson to fulfil the same role would give Nottinghamshire greater flexibility over how to use their second overseas place in future.

BBC Radio Sussex cricket reporter Adrian Harms detailed Simpson's consistency during his three seasons at Hove: he did not miss a Championship match, made 11 centuries and averaged just above 50 with the bat. He also recorded 144 dismissals as wicketkeeper. Those returns accompanied Sussex's promotion and subsequent fourth- and third-place finishes in Division One.