James Coles

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James Coles
Coles in 2025
Personal information
Full name
James Matthew Coles
Born (2004-04-02) 2 April 2004
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2020–presentSussex (squad no. 30)
2024–2025Southern Brave
2026Sunrisers Eastern Cape
FC debut6 September 2020 Sussex v Surrey
LA debut23 July 2021 Sussex v Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20
Matches 57 24 71
Runs scored 3,397 425 1,373
Batting average 39.04 26.56 28.60
100s/50s 9/13 0/2 0/7
Top score 224* 63* 77*
Balls bowled 5,009 856 1,036
Wickets 73 26 53
Bowling average 43.34 32.07 26.94
5 wickets in innings 1 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 5/108 3/27 4/12
Catches/stumpings 52/– 10/– 36/–
Source: Cricinfo, 14 June 2026

James Matthew Coles (born 2 April 2004) is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex.[1] He made his first-class debut on 6 September 2020, for Sussex in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy, at the age of 16, becoming Sussex youngest ever debutant.[2]

Career

At the age of 12, Coles joined the Sussex academy,[3] and he has represented them at the Bunbury Festival.[4] He has also played for Aston Rowant in the Oxfordshire cricket league, and in 2020, he scored a century on his Oxfordshire debut against Buckinghamshire.[4] At the age of 16 years and 157 days old, Coles became the youngest player to appear in a first-class match for the county.[5] The record had been held by John Mare since 1870.[3]

He has received the Oxford Junior Sportsman of the Year award and Sir John ‘Jack’ Hobbs Silver Jubilee Memorial Prize for the most outstanding under-16 schoolboy cricketer in England.[6] He made his List A debut on 23 July 2021, for Sussex in the 2021 Royal London One-Day Cup.[7]

In December 2021, he was named in England's team for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.[8]

Coles was included in the England Lions squad to tour Australia in January 2025.[9][10]

On 13 June 2026, Coles made his maiden first-class double century, scoring 224 not out off 226 balls in Sussex's first innings of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Hove.[11][12]

Personal life

Coles was a pupil at Magdalen College School, Oxford, up until 2022.[4]

References

  1. "James Coles". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  2. "South Group, The Oval, Sep 6-9 2020, Bob Willis Trophy". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. "James Coles, the Sussex batsman who is younger than Facebook". The Argus. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  4. "Oxfordshire's James Coles selected for Sussex against Surrey". Oxford Mail. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. "Tom Haines hundred leads inexperienced Sussex on solid first-day showing". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  6. "Who Is James Coles, Sussex's 16-Year-Old Bob Willis Trophy Debutant?". Wisden. 6 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 April 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. "Group 2, Sedbergh, Jul 23 2021, Royal London One-Day Cup". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  8. "Young Lions announce England U19 World Cup squad". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  9. "England Men's Lions announce squad for Australia tour". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  10. "James Coles Selected for England Lions Tour of Australia". Sussex County Cricket Club. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  11. "224* off 226: Rising England star slams career-best County Championship double-hundred". Wisden. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  12. "Coles career-best as Sussex punish Glamorgan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 June 2026.