Luke Wood signs Lancashire contract extension

The 26-year-old pacer has taken 20 wickets in 21 T20 outings for Lancashire and a further 21 first-class wickets in 12 appearances

Luke Wood has signed a contract extension with Lancashire which will keep him at Emirates Old Trafford until at least the end of 2024.

The 26-year-old, who joined Lancashire from Nottinghamshire on a three-year contract ahead of the 2020 season, has taken 20 wickets in 21 T20 outings for the club and a further 21 first-class wickets in 12 appearances.

Last season, he had the most productive season of his career in the T20 Blast, picking up a team-leading 13 wickets and bowling career-best figures of 4 for 20 against Yorkshire.

With Saqib Mahmood largely absent in 2021, Wood stepped up as Lancashire’s leading pacer and while his economy can sometimes be a bit of a rollercoaster, his partnership with miserly spinner Tom Hartley with the new ball is blossoming nicely.

He also showed promise with the red ball, taking 18 wickets at 33.11 in nine County Championship appearances as well as scoring a memorable century – his first since 2015 – against Kent as part of a record 187-run eighth-wicket partnership with Danny Lamb.

^{Wood scored a century against Kent [James Chance/Getty Images]}

Wood proved himself to be a versatile option in the bowling attack, deployed either as a first-change bowler behind the first-choice opening pair of Mahmood and Tom Bailey or slotting in as an opener when required.

And with teammates Jack Blatherwick, Danny Lamb and George Balderson, all of whom are 26 or under, also signing contract extensions in recent weeks, Lancashire have locked in a promising core of pace bowlers. 

Commenting on his contract extension, Wood said:  "I came here at the end of 2019 looking to get myself into the side and playing regularly, so to be able to commit for another three years is great.

"We have a great bunch of lads here; I feel as though I am fully integrated into the team now and it has been good to make a number of contributions over the last couple of seasons.

"The club came close bringing silverware back to Emirates Old Trafford last summer and we have all been working hard during the winter – and out here in Dubai on pre-season – to try and go that one step further in 2022."