Nottinghamshire sign wicketkeeper John Simpson from Sussex on two-year deal

Nottinghamshire have signed veteran wicketkeeper John Simpson from Sussex on a deal that will keep him at Trent Bridge beyond his 40th birthday. The 38-year-old joins the East Midlands side on a two-year contract encompassing both the County Championship and One-Day Cup formats.

Simpson has amassed more than 14,000 runs across first-class and List A competitions during a 17-year professional career in which he spent more than a decade at Middlesex — where he won the 2016 Division One title — before joining Sussex in 2024.

A decorated spell at Hove

At Sussex, Simpson captained the club to promotion from Division Two of the County Championship and helped them reach T20 Blast Finals Day in his first year. He earned three One-Day International caps for England in 2021.

Simpson scored 581 County Championship runs in the 2026 season — the first time he fell under the 1,000-run mark in his three years at Hove — as Sussex finished third in the table, just ahead of Nottinghamshire.

He described his years with Sussex as “some of the most enjoyable and rewarding of my career” but said he was “excited” by the “new challenge” at Nottinghamshire.

End of an era at Trent Bridge

The move brings an end to Kyle Verreynne's time with the East Midlands side, the South African having helped the club to the 2025 County Championship title during his three-year tenure. Verreynne's spell at Trent Bridge was cut short in September when he was called up by Cricket South Africa, forcing Nottinghamshire to turn to New Zealand's Mitchell Hay on a short-term deal to see out their ultimately failed attempt to retain the title.

Moores hails 'quality' signing

Notts head coach Peter Moores hailed Simpson as “a quality” wicketkeeper and batter who boasts “a proven track record”.

“It's a double-edged sword because we've loved having Kyle, and he's been fantastic for us,” Moores told the club website. “The big difference by having John to play the same role is the flexibility it will give us with our second overseas spot moving forward.”

An immense contributor — analysis

Adrian Harms, BBC Radio Sussex's cricket reporter, paid tribute to Simpson's impact since arriving at Hove:

“Paul Farbrace took a season to assess the weaknesses in the Sussex squad when he took the reins. His assessment was stark, Sussex had forgotten how to win, and despite an array of young developing talent, they needed — in his words — 'some gnarled old pros' to bring the best from the squad. Enter John Simpson and the rest is history — it's doubtful there have been many more shrewd signings in recent Championship history.”

As captain, Simpson led by example, immediately guiding Sussex to promotion as champions after a nine-year absence from Division One, and the following season led the club to a highly creditable fourth-place finish. This season, amid the ramifications of financial mismanagement at the club, he helped guide Sussex to their highest finish for 12 years.

His fitness has been exemplary, having not missed a Championship match during his time at the club, scoring an astonishing 11 centuries, averaging a shade over 50, and claiming 144 dismissals behind the stumps. Harms concluded: “Simpson's contribution to Sussex has been immense over the past three seasons, his departure a huge blow to the club, but his place in Sussex history is assured, and he will always be welcomed back to Hove with open arms.”