Last season’s Player of the Year Matt Critchley has signed a contract extension to remain at the Club until the end of the 2027 season.
The 27-year-old all-rounder moved to Chelmsford from Derbyshire ahead of the 2022 season, and has since played 54 games in all formats for the Eagles.
He made his Essex debut at home to Kent, and made an immediate stunning impression, hitting a sparkling 132 in his first Eagles innings before claiming a four-wicket haul.
Critchley has since scored over 1,400 First-Class runs for the Club at an average of 31.91, including three centuries, while he has struck 527 T20 runs with two fifties.
His leg-breaks have also brought him 80 all-format wickets in an Essex shirt, and last season he claimed career-best shortest-format figures of 5/28 against Middlesex.
Upon agreeing to extend his stay at The Cloud County Ground, Critchley said: “I’m very pleased. I’ve enjoyed my first couple of years here and I very much wanted to stay.
“Obviously, we’ve had a couple of changes to the team this winter, but we’ve made some good additions, so I’m very much looking forward to this year and the next few years.”
“I’ve felt like I’ve constantly been improving since I’ve been here, which was one of the main reasons I wanted to stay.”
Head Coach, Anthony McGrath, added: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to extend Matt’s contract. He’s a hugely popular member of the squad and his performances have been superb.
“His value to the team is huge, and that was on full display with his Player of the Year-winning performances last year.
“He’s been working especially hard on his batting recently, and that has brought a lot of positive results. He’s great to work with, and we’re looking forward to having him around for a long time yet!”
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Critchley will be in Essex’s ranks for all seven explosive home Blast fixtures in 2024, including three Friday night clashes under the lights.
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