Yardy handed Sussex vice-captaincy

Sussex have appointed allrounder Michael Yardy as vice-captain for the 2007 season. Under Yardy's captaincy in Bangladesh recently, the England A side clinched the unofficial Test series 1-0 and the one-day contest 3-1.

"This opportunity reflects an outstanding report from Bangladesh where it is understood Michael handled the responsibilities of captaincy on and off the field in a mature fashion and to a degree of great success," Sussex captain Chris Adams said.

"The appointment presents Michael with the opportunity to further his leadership skills and to strengthen his position within the team. We will work very closely together to ensure that we continue to raise the crossbar of performance and hope we can emulate the success of 2006."

Yardy, 26, played five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 in English colours, before being overlooked for the main one-day squad in Australia. He was handed the England A captaincy for the tour of Bangladesh after that.