Todd Murphy is set to become the latest Australian to enjoy a pre-Ashes tune-up in county cricket after signing a deal to play for Durham at the start of season.
The contract is understood to have been agreed before the 22-year-old off-spinner enjoyed a remarkable Test debut in Nagpur last week, his figures of 7-124 one of the few positives for Australia in a chastening innings defeat to India.
Murphy was playing just his eighth first-class game in that one-sided series opener but now has the chance to deepen his experience – plus knowledge of English pitches and the Dukes ball – during the initial seven-round block of Championship fixtures.
Though likely to be named in Australia’s squad for the Ashes defence that gets under way at Edgbaston on 16 June, Murphy will arrive for the start of the season and is expected to be released for Durham matches once the tour begins; that is, if he hasn’t already usurped Nathan Lyon as Australia’s first-choice spinner by then.
Cricket Australia is said to have greased the wheels, covering the travel costs for a stint that will see Murphy work under Durham’s Australian management team of Marcus North, director of cricket at the Riverside, and head coach Ryan Campbell.
Steve Smith (Sussex), Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser (both Glamorgan) are likely members of Australia’s Ashes squad who have already signed deals to play in the County Championship this summer.
Also hopeful of possible call-ups are Marcus Harris (Gloucestershire), Sean Abbott (Surrey), Nathan McAndrew (Sussex) and Sam Whiteman (Northants), who have signed their own red-ball county deals.
