James Coles
English cricketer (born 2004)
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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's youngest ever debutant.[2]
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Coles in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | James Matthew Coles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 April 2004 Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Sussex (squad no. 30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Southern Brave | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | London Spirit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 6 September 2020 Sussex v Surrey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA debut | 23 July 2021 Sussex v Lancashire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 15 August 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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]