Derbyshire Police have formally closed their investigation into an alleged assault involving England fast bowler Brydon Carse and confirmed that no charges will be brought against the 31-year-old. The announcement, made on September 18, 2026, ends the criminal element of a case that had already seen Carse excluded from England’s Test setup.
The sequence of events began on August 22, 2026, the evening after Durham completed a 338-run County Championship victory over Derbyshire. Carse was detained that night on suspicion of drunk and disorderly conduct in Derby city centre. Derbyshire Police later confirmed that Carse was allowed to go free after agreeing to leave the area.
The following morning, August 23, 2026, images spread across social media showing Carse in handcuffs outside Molly Malone’s bar in Derby. A separate allegation of assault, arising from the same evening, then came to light. That inquiry has now concluded with no charges filed against Carse.
What did the police investigation establish?
As reported by Sky Sports, the assault allegation was handled as a distinct matter from the drunk and disorderly detention. No arrest was ever made in connection with the assault inquiry, and the investigation has now been closed without any charge being brought. The identity of the complainant and the precise nature of the allegation remain unconfirmed in the available evidence and have not been included in this report.
The incident had immediate consequences for Carse’s international career. He had been part of England’s squad for the first Test at Headingley in a non-playing capacity before being released to turn out for Durham. Once the Derby events became public, he was omitted from England’s squad for all three Tests against Pakistan. England went on to win that series 3-0 in his absence. Durham, for their part, secured promotion from Division Two of the County Championship, a run of form that included the victory over Derbyshire that preceded the incident.
Carse was subsequently left out of England’s squad for the T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka in September 2026 as well, even though no criminal charge had been filed. He holds a two-year central contract with the ECB, with approximately 12 months remaining on that deal.
What is the next confirmed step in the process?
The closure of the Derbyshire Police investigation does not bring the matter to a complete close. The Cricket Regulator is conducting a separate inquiry into whether Carse breached the ECB Code of Conduct in connection with the same incident. That process is independent of the criminal investigation and remains ongoing.
No date has been set for the conclusion of the regulatory inquiry, and no finding has been made public. The outcome of the Cricket Regulator’s process will be separate from the police decision and cannot be predicted from it. Carse’s prospects of returning to England selection are likely to remain uncertain until that inquiry reaches a conclusion.
