Reece Topley has made a County Championship comeback after four years, after being named in Surrey’s XI for their home game against Leicestershire today (April 10).
Topley made his first-class debut for Essex in 2011, picking up 3-48 on debut. He went on to represent Essex till 2015, before moving to Hampshire for two county seasons. However, a string of injuries, including five separate back stress fractures between 2013 and 2019, limited his red-ball bowling, and he did not play a game for over two years.
Match 16, Surrey vs Leicestershire
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In 2021, Topley joined Sussex, playing two games before he was sidelined for two years after surgery that inserted metal screws into his vertebrae to secure his bone. He returned to the County Championship in 2021, playing seven games and picking up 21 scalps at 29.33. The following year, Topley played two matches, taking three wickets in both, but did not play another first-class game for four seasons.
Also read: 'I had no intention of ever playing again' - Reece Topley's triumphant return
Topley returns to red-ball cricket after four years
Around the same time, Topley became a central player in England’s white-ball set-up, achieving his best-ever ODI figures of 6-37 against India at Lord’s. He was also selected for the 2022 T20 World Cup, but was ruled out due to injury before the tournament began.
Topley also represented England in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, he has not played for the team in either format since November 2024 and eventually lost his ECB deal last year.
Ahead of the 2026 County Championship, the pacer expressed his interest in playing red-ball cricket for Surrey, and finally made a return to the format at Kennington on Friday.
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