Cricket: Mitchell Santner signs with Worcestershire

NZ Herald·

12 Jan, 2016 06:52 AM2 mins to read

Mitchell Santner. Photo / photosport.co.nz

Promising Black Caps all rounder Mitchell Santner is making the next step in his cricketing career, signing with English side Worcestershire.

Santner has been signed for the 2016 NatWest T20 Blast, continuing a quick rise for the 23-year-old, who this time last year was playing Ford Trophy one-day cricket for Northern Districts.

The Hamilton Boys High School product will join Worcestershire in mid-May, joining fellow Black Cap Matt Henry who will be there from early April until late June.

Santner is looking forward to experiencing English county cricket.

"It has been a breakthrough time for me in terms of New Zealand but I am always keen to develop my game and am looking forward to my first taste of county cricket.

"Worcestershire had a good run in the T20 last season in reaching the quarter-finals and I hope I can play my part in helping them to enjoy another successful tournament."

The left-armer has taken over the T20 overseas slot from big-hitting international teammate Colin Munro, and Worcestershire Director Of Cricket Steve Rhodes is delighted to have him on board.

"To have an overseas player with three strings to his bow will be a huge bonus to our T20 Blast ambitions," says Rhodes.

"He is a genuine left arm spinner so he will give our bowling terrific balance and his athletic fielding will add to an already good fielding squad."

Santner has played two T20 internationals for New Zealand, and shone with the ball at the domestic level, twice conceding just nine from his four over spell and holding a sterling career economy rate of 6.2.

Santner and Henry will join Munro and Mitchell McClenaghan in having played for the club in recent seasons, while Glenn Turner is an all-time great - having scored the third-most first-class runs in Worcestershire history.

Last year's T20 competition had seven New Zealanders competing - Munro, Jeetan Patel, Brendon McCullum, Luke Ronchi, James Franklin, Grant Elliott and Jesse Ryder.