COUNTY CONTRACT NEWS - WINTER 1999/2000

Tue 21 March 2000

Rajesh Rao leaves Sussex by mutual consent. [Profile | Sussex CCC]

Essex fast bowler Darren Cousins joins Northamptonshire. [Profile]

Robin Smith signs a new four year contract with Hampshire and is reappointed as captain. [Profile]

21 Jan: Warwickshire given permission to sign Ryan Sierra (an all-rounder from Johannesburg) on a two-year contract.

Tim Munton leaves Warwickshire to join Derbyshire on a two year contract after ten years at Edgbaston. [Profile]

Glamorgan sign Matthew Elliott as their overseas player for the 2000 season. [Profile | Glamorgan CCC]

Northamptonshire batsman David Follett announces his retirement, aged 31, after a succession of injuries. [Profile | Northamptonshire CCC]

Nottinghamshire sign David Millns from Leicestershire. [Profile]

Will House, formerly of Kent, joins Sussex on a two-year contract. [Profile | Kent CCC | Sussex CCC]

Robert Rollins signs for Northamptonshire on a three year contract. [Profile | Northants CCC]

Nick Knight signs a new contract with Warwickshire lasting until 2004. [Profile | Warwickshire CCC]

Michael Strong moves from Sussex to Northamptonshire and signs a two-year contract. [Profile]

Glamorgan sign all-rounder Alex Wharf on a three year contract. [Report | Profile]

Somerset sign Derbyshire all-rounder Ian Blackwell on a three-year contract. [Profile]

James Kirtley signs a contract keeping him at Sussex until 2002. [Profile]

Former Kent player Trevor Ward signs a three year contract with Leicestershire. [Press Release]

Gloucestershire's Jon Lewis commits himself to the club for 3 more years. [Press Release]

Following a recent change in ECB Registration Regulations Leicestershire sign 30-year old all-rounder Billy Stelling on a two-year contract. [Press Release]

Nottinghamshire recruit Surrey's Darren Bicknell and Derbyshire's Andrew Harris.

Phil DeFreitas has signed a four-year contract with his former county Leicestershire.
[Press Release]

Phil DeFreitas has been released by Derbyshire despite having two more years of his contract to run. The former England pace bowler was described by Derbyshire secretary John Smedley as having made "persistent and consistent requests" to leave the club. "It became increasingly obvious that he no longer had an inclination to play for Derbyshire", Smedley told reporters. DeFreitas' name has been linked with Middlesex and his original county, Leicestershire.

Neil Smith has been reappointed captain of Warwickshire for the 2000 season. Meanwhile the club has made former England fast bowler Gladstone Small an honorary life member. Small retired from county cricket for Warwickshire at the end of the 1999 season.

Paul Nixon has signed to play for Kent for the next three seasons. The twenty-nine year-old wicketkeeper, who toured India with England A in 1994/95, leaves Leicestershire after ten years. He joins a county with a long tradition of successful England keepers including Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and Alan Knott. The future of incumbent Kent wicketkeeper, Steve Marsh, is uncertain.

Andrew Flintoff has come to terms with Lancashire and has signed a contract to remain with the county for the 2000 season, with an option for three years after that.

Northamptonshire have released batsman Rob Bailey. The 35 year-old former county captain, who played four Tests for England between 1988 and 1990, is believed to be set to join Derbyshire in 2000.

Nigel Llong is leaving Kent after eight years with the county. Kent CCC did not offer him a full contract for next season - but say they were prepared for him to play for Kent on a one-day basis. On the same day Kent have announced they have arranged contracts with four new players - Kristian Adams, James Golding, Amjad Khan and James Watson (the third of whom will continue his studies next year before fulfilling a full-time contract in 2001).

Darren Gough, Alex Tudor and Dean Headley have passed fitness tests and have been cleared to take their place in England's tour of South Africa beginning next month.

Dr. Julian Thompson has agreed terms with Kent for next season. The 30 year old paceman had originally intended to retire at the end of the 1999 season to concentrate on his medicine.

Thompson had a superb season in 1999, picking up over 50 wickets on his way to being named Kent's player of the year; he is a bowler of some stature, with an easy, rhythmical action and the ability to move the ball in the air and from the pitch.

Alan Mullally has agreed to a three-year contract to play for Hampshire commencing in the 2000 season. The former Leicestershire left-arm paceman will join forces with Shane Warne in the Hampshire attack next year.

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Keith Piper has decided to remain with the county next season after earlier being given permission to speak to other counties. The 29 year-old former England A keeper lost his first team place to Tony Frost for most of the 1999 season, but has now said that he intends to remain with Warwickshire for the remainder of his career.

Rahul Dravid has been named as Kent's overseas import for 2000. The successful Indian batsman has been signed to a one-year contract and replaces Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds as the county's overseas player. John Wright, coach of the Kent team, described it as a "difficult decision" not to bring Symonds back for next year. With India's intense year-round international program, it has not been stated at this stage whether Dravid will be released to play for India during the county season. Kent CCC also announced the reappointment of Matthew Fleming as club captain for next year.

Former England batsman John Morris has signed a two-year contract to play for Nottinghamshire from 2000. Thirty-five year-old Morris, whose Test career encompassed the three-match series against India in 1990, has just completed a stint with Durham after commencing his career with Derbyshire.

As expected, Dave Gilbert has taken over the role of chief executive of Sussex County Cricket Club following the resignation of Tony Pigott. Gilbert, currently the club's general manager, will combine his current position with that of CEO.

Opening batsman Adrian Rollins is leaving Derbyshire despite an appeal to stay from the club's chairman. Its also rumoured that England bowler Phil DeFreitas could go - claiming he has a verbal agreement allowing him to leave Derbyshire.

Andrew Flintoff rejects a mew contract from Lancashire, believing that he can earn more with another county. Lancashire chairman Jack Simmons has said that the club "could not wreck its salary structure just to meet Flintoff's demands".

Off-spinner Tim Mason leaves Leicestershire to join Essex on a 2 year contract. Tim Mason leaves Leicestershire to join Essex on a 2 year contract.

Derbyshire have signed Michael Di Venuto as their overseas player for the 2000 season. The Tasmanian batsman, who has played for Australia in one-day internationals, appeared for Sussex this season.

The Sussex chief executive Tony Pigott has resigned, due to personal reasons. Pigott got the job two years ago when the members voted out the previous committee.
Former Sussex all-rounder Giles Haywood has signed with Nottinghamshire for a year.

Justin Langer was named yesterday as the new Middlesex captain for 2000, replacing Mark Ramprakash.

Worcestershire have offered Alamgir Sheriyar a new three-year contract. The left-arm paceman, who won England A selection for the tour of Bangladesh and New Zealand later this year, was the leading wicket-taker in the 1999 England first-class season.
Dominic Cork will retain the Derbyshire captaincy until at least 2001.

Derbyshire will renew all existing contracts except those of Michael Deane, Steven Griffiths, Mark Newell and Anthony Woolley.
Warwickshire say they want assurances over Allan Donald's fitness before retaining him.
Jamie Cox has signed a new two-year contract with Somerset.
Ian Harvey will rejoin Gloucestershire as overseas player next year if he can prove his fitness.

Essex sign Stuart Law as their overseas player for another year.

Shane Warne signs a one year contract with Hampshire.
Indian legspinner Anil Kumble replaces Michael Kasprowicz at Leicestershire.
Trevor Ward, Jamie Ford and Chris Walsh to leave Kent, whilst Simon Willis accepts a coaching role.