Gloucestershire's England Lions fast bowler Ajeet Singh Dale has agreed a move to Lancashire at the end of the season, signing a three-year contract, while fellow seamer Matt Milnes has opted for a return to Kent after three injury-hit seasons with Yorkshire.
Singh Dale, 25, is regarded as one of the quickest bowlers on the county circuit and was subject to interest from several counties after entering the final summer of his contract with Gloucestershire, whom he joined from Hampshire in 2022. Across four seasons at Bristol, he took 81 first-class wickets at 38.24, as well as being picked for the Lions in 2024 and 2025.
Lancashire's director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, described Singh Dale as an "exciting young fast bowler with genuine pace and a real hunger to keep on developing and improving his game" who would help add depth to the attack at Old Trafford.
Singh Dale said: "I'm really excited to be joining Lancashire and can't wait to get started with the club in November. Lancashire has an exceptionally strong squad, which can compete across all formats, and I'm looking forward to pushing myself in a new environment while contributing towards success for this great club.
"I have heard great things about the set-up and facilities at Emirates Old Trafford and I'm confident it's the right place for me to take the next step in my career with the Red Rose."
Milnes, 31, has opted to head back to Kent on a three-year deal in order to be closer to family, having failed to make the expected impact after signing for Yorkshire in 2022. He only managed five County Championship appearances across three seasons, due to a series of back problems, with his best figures coming in their most-recent match - victory over Sussex at Scarborough that lifted hopes of the club avoiding relegation.
A member of the Kent team that won the 2021 T20 Blast, Milnes said he was "excited to come back to Kent and join this new project under Adam Hollioake". In a successful first spell at Canterbury, he claimed 126 first-class wickets at 27.15, as well as 37 in T20.
Simon Cook, Kent director of cricket, said: "We're delighted that Milnesy has chosen to come back to Kent. He was an extremely big part of our bowling attack during our sustained periods of success in his first time here, and he is an extremely talented bowler in both red- and white-ball cricket.
"As we plan for the future in our ethos of producing Kent talent, his experience will also be a great boost to us, too."
Montgomery to join Derbyshire
Nottinghamshire allrounder Matthew Montgomery will make the switch to Derbyshire on a three-year contract. He will join the club initially on loan for the Metro Bank One-Day Cup (although will be ineligible to face Notts).
Montgomery, who was born in South Africa but has a German passport, made his Notts debut in 2021 and scored the first of his two first-class hundreds the following summer. Although he has only played once in the County Championship this year, he became an integral part of the T20 side, topping the bowling averages with 15 wickets at 18.06.
"Matt has chosen to join our project at Derbyshire and we're delighted to welcome him to the club," Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire's head of cricket, said. "He's a batter with real ability in all formats, and he will get the opportunity to show what he can do. His bowling will also be a real asset for us in T20 cricket."
Montgomery said: "I'm excited to work with Mickey and join a group that is moving in the right direction. I look forward to taking this next step in my career and hope I can contribute to Derbyshire's success across all formats."