Durham sign Scott Steel and Nathan Rimmington to new one-year deals

The county has also signed five players to new rookie contracts ahead of the 2020 season

Durham have bolstered their squad for the 2020 season by securing new one-year deals with Scott Steel and Nathan Rimmington.

20-year-old local product Steel made his professional debut across all three formats in 2019, becoming a regular presence in the county's white ball sides before making his maiden County Championship appearances against Middlesex and Northamptonshire in September. 

In the T20 Blast, right-hander Steel formed a formidable opening partnership with Australian international D'Arcy Short, highlighted by a contribution of 70 from 30 balls at Grace Road as his side chased 159 in just 11.1 overs.

Top-scoring three times, his run tally for the county was second only to Short, finishing with 369 runs from his 11 matches. Steel also found success with his part-time offspin, leading Durham bowlers with an economy rate of just 6.18 runs for each of his 16 overs.

^{36-year-old seamer Nathan Rimmington has signed a one-year T20 Blast contract after two years with the county}

Australian seamer Rimmington joined the county on a two-year deal ahead of the 2018 season, having previously played overseas stints with Hampshire and Derbyshire. The 36-year-old, who holds a British passport, had previously represented Queensland and Western Australia in 38 Sheffield Shield fixtures.

After being selected by Northern Superchargers in October's The Hundred draft, Rimmington will join up later this month with Abu Dhabi T10 squad Karnataka Tuskers before returning to the county game next summer on a T20-only basis.

He claimed 16 wickets at 24.5 across his six County Championship appearances in 2019, and returned the same tally at an average of 19.06 while figuring across Durham's entire T20 Blast campaign.

The county has also announced a quintet of new youth deals for the 2020 season, including 21-year-old Scotland international Michael Jones. Batsman Sol Bell and Durham MCCU graduate Jack Campbell are both awarded contracts after making County Championship debuts this past summer, while seamer Josh Coughlin and 2nd XI regular Oliver Gibson complete the list.

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