Essex sign up Australian fast bowler Siddle on two-year deal

The 33-year-old, who has taken 37 wickets at an average of 16.41 in division one of the County Championship this year, played his final match for the county in 2018 in Essex’s defeat to Surrey at Chelmsford

^{Peter Siddle will continue his time with Essex in 2019 and 2020}

Essex have announced the signing of Australian bowler Peter Siddle on a two-year deal for the 2019 and 2020 domestic seasons.

Siddle, who has had two spells at the club during the course of 2018, will be Essex’s overseas player until the end of the 2020 campaign.

The 33-year-old, who has taken 37 wickets at an average of 16.41 in division one of the County Championship this year, played his final match for the county in 2018 in Essex’s defeat to Surrey at Chelmsford.

On the new deal Siddle said: “I have loved my time at the club so far with the players and staff giving me a great welcome, and I really feel part of the team at Essex.

“As an overseas player, I am always committed to taking the whole experience in and not just picking up my money and being on my way at the end of a contract.

“There is a wealth of talent in this squad who are hungry for more success and I am thrilled that I can join them for a further two season and be part of it.

“I’m also really excited to play alongside Cooky [Alastair Cook], we’ve had some really great battles in the past and it’s going to be fun to play on the same side as him rather than against him.”

Essex head coach Anthony McGrath added: “We are ecstatic that Peter has agreed to be with us for a further two years. We have all seen the qualities he brings to this squad and complements our bowling attack perfectly.

“He has a wealth of experience and the professional attitude he applies every time he heads out onto the field is commendable, as well as being a great person to have around the Club off the field.”

The news of Siddle’s signing comes after the club announced that Ashar Zaidi and Callum Taylor will leave Chelmsford at the end of their current contracts.