Jake Lintott earns three-year Warwickshire deal after impressing in T20 Blast

The 27-year-old has previously spent time with Hampshire and Gloucestershire, having started out in Somerset’s youth system, but this represents Lintott’s first full-time professional contract

Warwickshire have signed Jake Lintott on a three-year deal, after the left-arm wrist-spinner impressed for the county during last year’s T20 Blast campaign.

The 27-year-old has previously spent time with Hampshire and Gloucestershire, having started out in Somerset’s youth system, but this represents Lintott’s first full-time professional deal.

He also played for Dorset and is the head of cricket at Queen’s College in Taunton, before receiving his break in 2020. He took 10 wickets in nine Blast matches at 18.9 apiece, with an economy rate of just 6.3.

“Jake made a fantastic impression during our Vitality Blast campaign in 2020 and we’re thrilled to secure his immediate future with the club,” said Warwickshire director of cricket Paul Farbrace.

“His economy rate of 6.3 was the best within our playing squad and it was one of the best rates of all bowlers in the tournament. He also boasted the second-best bowling average in Blast from the Bears bowling ranks.

“Slow left-arm unorthodox bowlers are not easy to discover and Jake provides another dimension to our spin bowling attack, alongside slow left-arm orthodox Danny Briggs and off-spinner Alex Thomson.”

There aren't many of Jake Lintott: Left-arm wrist-spinners remain a curious rarity

Lintott added: “It’s been a long-time coming but it’s an amazing feeling to secure my first full contract in the professional game.

“There have been a lot of people who have helped me along the way, but I must particularly express my thanks to everyone at Queen’s College in Taunton, who have been fantastic in allowing me to continue chasing my dream of a career in the professional game, whilst also leading its cricket programme.”

He spoke to The Cricketer during his Blast campaign, explaining how his point of difference as a left-arm wrist-spinner had kept his county ambitions alive.

“I’ve always wanted to prove people wrong,” he said at the time. “There are people still now who even since I’ve played for Hampshire and Gloucestershire ask why I’m still trying. It’s always been an ambition of mine to play professional cricket; I’ve not given up on it.

“That’s probably because I bowl left-arm wrist-spin and that’s so different. I know that if I get in and do well, opportunities open up and things can move quite quickly. That’s why I’ve not closed the door. Ironically, I think if I was a left-arm spinner, I probably would have stopped. The fact that I’m a bit different drives me on a bit.”