Lockie Ferguson joins Derbyshire's foreign legion

Derbyshire has signed New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson for this summer's Vitality Blast competition.

Ferguson, who has been timed at 95mph, will form part of an impressive - if far from local - pace attack at Derby alongside fellow overseas signing Wahab Riaz, as well as Hardus Viljoen and Ravi Rampaul. He has played 16 ODIs and one T20I for New Zealand - he dismissed David Warner in his first over of international cricket - and he played in the 2017 IPL season for Rising Pune Supergiant.

Ferguson is the 11th New Zealander signed up by counties for the Blast season and will join up with former New Zealand batsman and coach, John Wright, at Derbyshire. Wright, a T20 coach with the club, is joined on the coaching staff by fellow Kiwi Grant Bradburn, the Scotland coach, who is likely to be in the running to succeed Mike Hesson as New Zealand coach.

"Lockie is very quick, regularly bowls over 90mph and has IPL experience," Derbyshire Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett, said. "We're delighted to have him on board for the Vitality Blast.

"Lockie will complement our attack alongside fellow overseas Wahab Riaz and we're looking forward to see how they go."

"Interestingly, I read an article about Wright's time playing for Derbyshire in the 1980s," Ferguson said. "With the rules only allowing one overseas player per game, John said how it was always funny when opposition sides saw the team sheet and how happy they were to see him in the side.

"What that, of course, meant was that Michael Holding wasn't playing. Hopefully, I can get a couple down at some pace that former Derbyshire fast bowlers would be proud of. I cannot wait to represent the county with pride."