Tom Westley and Nick Browne sign new Essex deals

Westley - a graduate of the Essex academy - has been with the club since he was 13 and has played 152 first-class matches for the Chelmsford side

Essex have handed contract extensions to batsmen Nick Browne and Tom Westley.

Westley - a graduate of the Essex academy - has been with the club since he was 13 and has played 152 first-class matches for the Chelmsford side.

His new deal will keep him at the County Ground until at least the end of the 2022 summer.

"I love the club and the supporters, so committing to Essex was straightforward. Hopefully I can repay their faith in me by scoring runs for Essex over the coming years," Westley said.

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"We have a very ambitious squad and coaching staff, and a fantastic dressing room, led by Ryan ten Doeschate and Anthony McGrath. Hopefully we can build on the success the club has had in recent years and make this an era to remember."

Head coach Anthony McGrath said: "Tom is a fantastic batsman and has scored plenty of runs for us over the years, so it’s great news for everyone associated with Essex that he’s extended his stay.

"He’s integral to what we are trying to build and achieve at the club so it’s terrific that he’s going to be here for years to come."

28-year-old Browne has signed a deal keeping him with the club until the end of the 2021 season. The batsman, who made his first-class debut in 2013, said: “I’m delighted to sign a new contract with the Club for a further two years, as Essex is my boyhood club and very close to my heart.

“This is a golden era for Essex and I feel this squad of players can win a lot more trophies over the next few years.

“Playing in this team is an absolute delight, I have so many close friends and we are such a tight group of players and staff, which can continue to move forward towards winning more Championship titles.

“The team and I are focused on repaying the great support we receive from Members and supporters with success and enjoyable cricket.”

Head coach Anthony McGrath added: “Nick is a tremendous batsman and his runs have won us countless matches over the last few years.

“It’s no coincidence that our title-winning campaigns coincided with his best seasons with the bat. He’s integral to what we are trying to achieve, and he will almost certainly play a crucial role in any future triumphs at Essex.”

Courtesy of the ECB reporters network

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