Van Zyl commits to Sussex on three-year deal

Sussex have signed South African allrounder Stiaan van Zyl on a three-year Kolpak deal. Van Zyl will still play at the Cobras but cannot play for South Africa for as long as he contracted to the county.

Van Zyl, 29, will arrive at Hove next season after first completing the South African 2016-17 domestic season.

Sussex's head coach Mark Davis said, "We are delighted to have Stiaan joining us at Sussex Cricket. He is an established first-class cricketer of immense talent and has also represented South Africa in 12 Test matches.

"Stiaan brings a wealth of experience to the team, which is a crucial ingredient to our young developing squad. His medium pace bowling should also not be underestimated.

"To have a top order batsman who is able to bowl seam is a very important element in balancing our team for next season. He is a player who plays all formats of the game, which is another crucial part of our strategy moving forward."

Van Zyl's last Test came against New Zealand in August this year. He has played 12 Test matches for his country and made an unbeaten century on debut in 2014, as South Africa beat the West Indies by an innings and 220 runs at Centurion.

The left-hander has played 132 first-class matches, scoring almost 8000 runs, including 18 centuries and averaging 42.55. His medium-pace has also yielded over 50 wickets in first-class cricket.