Harry Gurney quits first-class cricket to sign white-ball only deal at Nottinghamshire

Gurney will retire from red-ball cricket to focus his attention on the limited-overs element to the sport, agreeing a deal with Notts until the end of the 2020 summer

Harry Gurney is the latest English cricketer to choose the white-ball contract route.

The seamer, whose form in T20 cricket has brought him stints in the Big Bash and IPL, has committed to an extended stay at Nottinghamshire but it comes with a catch.

Gurney will retire from red-ball cricket to focus his attention on the limited-overs element to the sport, agreeing a deal with Notts until the end of the 2020 summer.

“I am very proud of what I have achieved in red-ball cricket, but now feels like the right time to focus solely on one-day competitions,” he said.

“I am grateful to the club for understanding and for showing faith in me by giving me a deal until the end of 2020.

^{Harry Gurney has signed a white-ball only deal with Nottinghamshire}

“I can’t imagine playing my cricket anywhere else in England and I hope I can taste further white ball success with this exciting group of players.”

“While it’s a disappointment that Harry won’t be playing red-ball cricket for us anymore, we’re really pleased to have him committed to us for one-day cricket over the next two seasons,” said director of cricket Mick Newell. 

“He’s one of the best white-ball bowlers around. Once he made his decision, if we didn’t offer him a white ball deal there would be 17 other counties wanting him to bowl for them.

“When he returns from the IPL, he’ll have had a concerted period of T20 cricket behind him and will continue to be an asset to us, as he has been for a number of years.

“We have young bowlers ready to step into the red ball team and perform in the likes of Luke Wood, Zak Chappell and Paul Coughlin. Now they are likely to benefit from more opportunities.”