Sheridon Gumbs, a 22-year-old batter, has secured a three-and-a-half-year contract with Leicestershire after an 18-month trial period spent playing second XI cricket on little more than the daily minimum wage. His story highlights the precarious existence of fringe professional cricketers, who compete for contracts on modest pay far removed from the riches of competitions like The Hundred, with no guarantee coaches will even communicate how they are progressing.

Gumbs, a former Surrey academy player and England Under-19 international, was released by Surrey and endured a brief, unsuccessful trial at Hampshire before nearly abandoning his cricketing ambitions altogether. He persevered through his uncertain spell at Leicestershire, earning runs and interest from rival counties along the way, and has now been rewarded with a long-term deal just days before The Hundred began, in which top earners such as Harry Brook can earn £465,000 for a month's work.