Peter Fulton named as Middlesex's new head coach

Peter Fulton, the former New Zealand opening batter, has been named as Middlesex's new head coach, and will join the club on a three-year contract ahead of the 2026 season.

Fulton, 47, played 23 Tests for New Zealand between 2006 and 2014, and joins Middlesex from Canterbury, where he has been head coach since 2020. His team are currently second in the Plunket Shield, New Zealand's domestic four-day competition, and top of the one-day Ford Trophy table, having won the title in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Fulton won the Plunket Shield in his first season in charge, and has overseen the progression of several Canterbury players into the New Zealand red- and white-ball squads. Prior to his Canterbury stint, he also served as the national team's batting coach.

He joins Middlesex as the full-time replacement for Richard Johnson, who left his role in June after a tough start to the club's campaigns in the Championship and T20 Blast. Dane Vilas had taken charge in an interim capacity for the remainder of the 2025 season, with the club eventually finishing fourth in Division Two of the Championship while making the quarter-finals of the One-Day Cup.

Middlesex have also been negotiating a number of off-field issues, including being put into special measures by the ECB over financial mismanagement and fighting a legal case against former chief executive, Richard Goatley.

"I am delighted to be joining Middlesex Cricket. I have always followed county cricket and wanted an opportunity to be a part of it," Fulton said. "The club has a rich history, and I can't wait to arrive and get to work on building a cricket team of which the club and supporters can continue to be very proud of."

Alan Coleman, Middlesex's director of cricket, added: "I am delighted to be welcoming Peter to Middlesex Cricket, and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming years.

"After a thorough process with a number of high-quality candidates, Peter emerged as an ambitious, exciting and hugely talented coach, with a demonstrate proven track record of success in New Zealand domestic cricket with Canterbury. Along with this, he has helped produce a number of Black Cap players from his teams - with producing international players a key ambition of the club over the coming seasons.

"I'd like to thank Canterbury Cricket for allowing an early release of Peter's contract to allow him to join us for pre-season training. We look forward to welcoming Peter to Middlesex Cricket and Lord's."