Gloucestershire allrounder Ben Charlesworth will join Lancashire on a three-year deal at the end of the season.

The 25-year old will remain at Bristol before officially becoming a Lancashire player from November 1 until the end of the 2029 summer. Charlesworth becomes the seventh player to move on from Gloucestershire since the end of last season. He will reunite with former team-mate Ajeet Singh Dale, who made a similar switch to Emirates Old Trafford last year.

Confirmation of the move ends what has been a peculiar month for the county and Charlesworth. Two days before their season opener against Middlesex, Gloucestershire announced he would depart at the end of the season, after six months of negotiations over an extension beyond the 2026 season had reached an impasse.

As ESPNcricinfo reported at the time, Gloucestershire gave Charlesworth their consent to speak to other counties ahead of June 1, usually the date in the final year of deals when players are allowed to negotiate moves elsewhere. The previous County Championship round saw Lancashire move top of Division Two after beating Gloucestershire, who sit bottom with just three points after three defeats.

Charlesworth, who scored 26 and 13 in the match, has 2869 runs and 33 wickets across his first-class career. All four of his centuries in the format have come in the previous two seasons, with 2025’s brace among 914 runs – his most productive campaign to date.

A left-handed opening batter and a handy right-arm seamer, he will offer Lancashire dexterity to their squad. He also contributed to Gloucestershire’s T20 Blast win in 2024 with 221 runs.

“I am really excited to be joining Lancashire,” Charlesworth said. “It’s a club with a proud history and strong ambitions across all formats.

“I know Ajeet Singh Dale and Will Porterfield [assistant coach] well from their time at Gloucestershire, and they have spoken very highly about the set-up at Lancs and at Emirates Old Trafford.

“I am looking forward to taking this next challenge in my career and contributing to a successful Lancashire side for the seasons ahead.”

Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, added: “Ben is a player we have tracked closely for some time, and we are delighted to have secured his services from the 2027 season onwards. His ability to contribute across multiple areas of the game makes him a valuable addition to our squad, particularly with his capability to bat in different positions and provide a seam bowling option.

“Ben has shown great promise over the past couple of seasons, and we believe he has the potential to develop even further here at Emirates Old Trafford once he joins up in November.

“I would also like to thank Jon Lewis at Gloucestershire for allowing us to approach Ben and complete the deal ahead of the usual first of June window for out of contract players.”