Samit Patel takes Nottinghamshire association into 20th year with new contract

Samit Patel is set to complete 20 years as a Nottinghamshire player after signing a two-year contract extension at the club, primarily for white-ball cricket.

Patel, who made his first-class debut for Notts as a 17-year-old in 2002, was a key part of the club's T20 Blast triumph this season, hitting a vital 28 not out from No. 8 in the quarter-final against Leicestershire before returning 2 for 42 in six overs across the semi-final and final.

While he remains available for selection in red-ball cricket, Patel said that focusing on his limited-overs skills would benefit both the club and his longevity.

"I'm not retiring from playing with the red ball, and I'll always be there for Notts in first-class cricket if they need me," Patel said. "However, Matt Carter and Liam Patterson-White are spin bowlers with their careers ahead of them, and we have a talented batting line-up with loads of potential too, so I firmly believe the club needs to go down that route in the red-ball game.

"In limited-overs cricket, I believe we have a team that can be there or thereabouts for years to come. I know I have a big part to play in that and winning more trophies is the ultimate aim."

Patel, who played six Tests and 54 limited-overs games in his England career, has become a regular feature on the worldwide T20 circuit in recent years, and is currently playing for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League playoffs before heading to the Lanka Premier League. He was surprisingly overlooked in the selection process for the Hundred last year, and will hope to press his case ahead of January's draft.

"Samit believes very strongly that we'll benefit as a limited-overs team from him becoming a white-ball specialist - both in terms of the longevity of his career and with the specific focus it will bring to his preparation," Peter Moores, Notts' head coach, said.

"The terms of this contract are reflective of Samit's wishes in that regard. He's earned the right over many years, and in particular with the way he went about his cricket last season, to make that decision and for us to respect it."

The club also confirmed that Harry Gurney has signed another white-ball deal for 2021 after missing the T20 Blast this summer through a shoulder injury, which also ruled him out of the IPL. Having joined from Leicestershire in 2012, Gurney will complete a decade as a Notts player next summer.

"2020 has ended up being a bit of an enforced sabbatical for me," Gurney said, "but I feel rested, refreshed and ready to power through the next phase of my rehab to get ready for 2021."

Toby Pettman, a beanpole Oxford University seamer, has also been offered professional terms for 2021 after impressing bowling coach Kevin Shine at an MCCU open day.