[1][2][3] James made his first-class debut for Nottinghamshire in the 2018 County Championship against Essex on 10 September 2018.
[6] In April 2022, in the County Championship, James scored his maiden century in first-class cricket against Durham.
[8][9] At the end of the 2022 season he signed a new four-year contract with Nottinghamshire having scored 890 runs at an average of 52.35 as the club won the Division Two title.
[10][11] He was selected in successive England Lions squad which took part training camps in the United Arab Emirates during the winters of 2022[12][13] and 2023.
[16] James was named in the England Lions squad for a four-day match against Sri Lanka in August 2024.