Cricket News

Ryan McLaren, the South Africa allrounder, has joined Middlesex as their second overseas player for the Friends Provident t20 tournament

Somerset have signed Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis for the first few weeks of the County season

Gloucestershire's captain Alex Gidman has agreed a new contract extension that will take him through to the end of the 2013 season

Lancashire's bid to redevelop their crumbling Old Trafford ground could turn into a race to save the county's future, according to their chief executive, Jim Cumbes

South Africa's Twenty20 captain, Johan Botha, has joined Northamptonshire for their 2011 t20 campaign

Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has switched counties, moving from Sussex to sign up as Surrey's overseas player for the entirety of the 2011 domestic season

Sussex have secured seam-bowling Pakistan allrounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan as their overseas player for the first half of the season

Martin Guptill, the New Zealand top-order batsman, has signed up with Derbyshire for the English domestic season later in the year

Bangladesh's captain Shakib Al Hasan has agreed terms for a return to Worcestershire during the 2011 season, for a seven-week period that will encompass the Friends Provident Twenty20 tournament

Derbyshire have signed the gifted Australia batsman Usman Khawaja for the first half of the 2011 county season

The Pakistani offspinner, Saeed Ajmal, has joined Worcestershire for the second half of the 2011 season, pending the granting of a No Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Board and work permit approval

Darren Pattinson has signed a new contract with Nottinghamshire that commits him to the club until the end of the 2012 season

Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait will be Surrey's overseas player for this summer's Friends Provident t20 competition

Seamer Tony Palladino has signed a two year contract for Derbyshire after being released by Essex at the end of the 2010 season

Nottinghamshire will begin the defence of their County Championship title against Hampshire at Trent Bridge on April 14

Ravi Bopara has committed his short-term future to Essex after signing a new two-year deal

Zander de Bruyn, the former South Africa allrounder, has joined Surrey on a one-year deal for the 2011 English season after spending three summers at Somerset

Mark Cosgrove, the Tasmania batsman, will return to Glamorgan as their second overseas player for the Friends Provident t20 next seson

The English domestic season will again be launched in the Middle East next year with Nottinghamshire taking on MCC in Abu Dhabi

New Zealand allrounder Scott Styris will return to Essex for next season's Friends Provident t20 campaign, subject to approval from the New Zealand Cricket Board