Essex sign New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham for 2021 T20 Blast
Mar 27, 2021
Essex [UK], March 27 : England County Cricket Club Essex has signed New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham for the 2021 T20 Blast campaign.
The 30-year-old will join up with the Eagles after his commitments with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and will initially be available for the group stages of the Vitality Blast.
Neesham is a regular in New Zealand's ODI and T20 sides and has represented franchises all around the world, most notably Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, as well as Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
"I am really looking forward to joining up with Essex Eagles for this year's Vitality Blast. I'm excited about linking up with Ryan ten Doeschate again, having played with him for a few seasons when he was with Otago, and hopefully we can replicate the success of 2019," said Neesham in an official statement.
The all-rounder also played for Derbyshire Falcons and Kent Spitfires in their 2016 and 2017 NatWest T20 Blast campaigns. During his two stints in England, he scored 402 runs at an average of 26.80, whilst also picking up 29 wickets at an average of 29.10.
Essex head coach Anthony McGrath was elated to add Neesham to his squad and said: "We sat down at the end of last season and concluded that we needed to add another all-rounder to the T20 squad, and with all of his talent and experience, Jimmy fits the bill perfectly.
"He's excelled with both the bat and the ball on the biggest of stages for his country, as well as in the global franchise competitions and it's a great match for both the player and the Club," he added.
