1 Dec 2016

Santner to play for Worcester again

11:24 am on 1 December 2016

The Black Caps all-rounder Mitchell Santner will play for Worcestershire again in English County cricket next year.

Santner will link up with Worcester for the English T20 competition following the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.

Spinner Mitchell Santner

Spinner Mitchell Santner Photo: Photosport

This year he bowled four overs in the opening match against Durham but then suffered a broken finger in the field and was never seen again.

Worcestershire director of cricket, Steve Rhodes is delighted to land the services of Santner for a second spell, subject to obtaining the normal visa clearances and a No Objection Certificate from New Zealand Cricket.

Rhodes said: "For T20 cricket, people with three disciplines are really exciting. We know spin is a major player for T20 cricket so to have a top spinner is fantastic. We know Mitch can hit the ball out of the ground, because he has done that, but also being a left hander is useful to the composition of our top six - and he is also a great fielder.

"There is some unfinished business with Mitch. Last summer he was very unlucky to pick up that finger injury that needed pinning in the first game he played.

"We know he is a good player, an international player, but I always like to have signings where people have got something to prove and I think he feels that way so that's why it is an exciting signing.

"Losing Mitch was a massive blow to our hopes of qualifying. We'd had a good start and him playing all those games would have been an extra bonus for us.

Worcestershire have already signed Australian all-rounder John Hastings for the 2017 campaign. Hastings' previous county loyalties have been with Durham but they remain under financial pressure after major restructuring, and an ECB bail-out, prevented them from going bankrupt.