Gloucestershire Secures Young Fast Bowler Che Simmons on Loan

Gloucestershire have moved early to secure one of county cricket’s most talked-about young quicks, bringing in Warwickshire fast bowler Che Simmons on loan for the rest of the season ahead of a permanent switch in 2027.

The 22-year-old will slot straight into Gloucestershire’s push to finish the County Championship campaign strongly, available for their final three matches. His short-term stay comes with a clear long-term commitment: a two-year deal starting next season already signed and sealed.

This is not a speculative punt. Simmons broke into Warwickshire’s County Championship side in 2024, making his first-class debut for the Bears, but has been restricted to just three red-ball appearances since. For a bowler with pace, potential and ambition, second-team cricket has become too small a stage.

He made that point plain. The chance to play regular first-team cricket, he said, was a “big factor” in his decision to move. Game time, not just promise, is now the priority.

Gloucestershire have read that situation smartly. Director of cricket Jon Lewis did not hide his enthusiasm, describing Simmons as “a hugely talented young cricketer with a very high ceiling” and highlighting the volume of work he has already put in for Warwickshire’s second XI. For Lewis, this is the moment Simmons steps out of the shadows and into the main act.

The move gives Gloucestershire an injection of raw pace at the back end of the season and, more importantly, a project fast bowler to build around. If Simmons turns that “very high ceiling” into hard numbers with the ball, this late-season loan could look like the start of a long-term spearhead.