Nottinghamshire sign Mitchell Hay as Kyle Verreynne replacement

Notts Make Quick Move to Keep Title Hopes Alive

Nottinghamshire have moved fast to plug the gap left by Kyle Verreynne's recall to CSA on Sept 6—signing NZ keeper-bat Mitchell Hay for the closing three County Championship fixtures. Time is of the essence here, and the club clearly didn't want to sit around waiting.

The Context

Notts sit 2nd in Division One, four adrift of leaders Somerset with just three games left. Title defence still very much on the table. Verreynne's departure was pure national duty—no club friction, just CSA calling. Over 10 Championship apps this season he pulled in 368 runs plus 32 catches and a stumping. Solid output. Losing a keeper-bat that consistent this deep in a campaign hurts.

Who's Hay?

Canterbury guy, first-class record of 2,167 runs at 45.14—proper longer-format profile. One Test cap, earned against the West Indies in Dec 2025. Not a superstar name, but the numbers suggest he's comfortable grinding out the longer format, which is exactly what you need across three high-stakes matches.

The Read

Moores describes him as a "mature keeper" who can bat in the top six—that's the profile Notts need. Calm, confident, knows his game. From an investment angle, this is a low-risk, high-reward move: filling a critical role at the business end of the season without breaking the bank. The question is whether Hay can come in and contribute immediately while the pressure's on.

Notts need to close that 4-point gap. Hay's arrival tells Somerset they're not backing down.

Source: Crictracker