Fraser Sheat Joins Nottinghamshire for County Championship Run-In

Nottinghamshire have signed New Zealand allrounder Fraser Sheat as an overseas player for the final five matches of their County Championship campaign.

The 28-year-old, who represents Canterbury in New Zealand’s Plunket Shield, has taken 151 first-class wickets at an average of 27.39. He previously played for Glamorgan during a two-match stint in 2024.

Sheat is expected to make his Nottinghamshire debut against Warwickshire at Edgbaston this week, in a fixture that could have a major impact on the Championship title race.

Nottinghamshire, the defending champions, currently lead Division One by two points over Somerset, while Warwickshire sit a further three points behind in third place.

“When I heard Nottinghamshire were interested, I was really keen to get the deal done, and I’m excited by the opportunity,” Sheat said. “Having experienced English cricket before, I can’t wait to get back over and join up with the team at Trent Bridge.”

Sheat recently made his representative debut for New Zealand A during their tour of Sri Lanka. In a four-day match against Sri Lanka A in April, he scored an unbeaten 61 off 60 balls and also claimed the wicket of Test opener Nishan Madushka.

The allrounder believes his recent development has prepared him for the challenge of Division One cricket in England.

“I feel like my game has really developed recently, and I’m excited to test myself even more in Division One of the Championship over in England,” Sheat said.

“I know the standards that Nottinghamshire set, and with the boys in such a good position heading into the final few games, I’ll be looking to contribute as much as I can.”

Sheat also comes from a cricketing family. His grandfather, Frank Rapley, previously played for Canterbury.

Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores said Sheat’s arrival would provide valuable depth to the team’s seam-bowling resources during a demanding period of the season.

“Fraser will add to our seam resources at what is a key point in the season,” Moores said.

“Six games in six weeks is a heavy workload in the last part of this season and to have depth in our seam bowling will be key to staying competitive in every game.

“This feels like a great opportunity for Fraser, and we can’t wait to have him as part of the squad moving forward.”

With the Championship title race finely poised, Nottinghamshire will hope Sheat can make an immediate impact as they look to defend their Division One crown.