Ben Aitchison signs contract extension with Derbyshire

Aitchison, 22, has claimed 40 first-class wickets at an average of 25.07 since joining the club in 2020, finishing as Derbyshire’s leading LV= County Championship wicket-taker in 2021, with 34 dismissals at an average of just 23.29.

He claimed his maiden first-class five-wicket haul against Durham at The Incora County Ground last season and will once again be a key component of a developing seam attack, alongside the likes of Sam Conners, Michael Cohen and George Scrimshaw.

New head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, has moved quickly to bolster the squad ahead of his first season in English cricket, signing batter Shan Masood and bowler Suranga Lakmal as overseas players, Mark Watt for the Vitality Blast and extending the contracts of Aitchison, Scrimshaw and Anuj Dal.

Arthur said: “Ben is a player we have high hopes for, his attitude and willingness to buy into our project has been really pleasing, and he will be a key player for us over the next few years.

“He’s a promising talent and we’ve said from the start that we want to be the county of choice, so to retain Ben is another big step in the right direction.”

Aitchison added: “I feel at home with Derbyshire, we have a great dressing room vibe and the opportunity to work with Mickey and Ajmal [Shahzad] every day is something any player would relish.

“I’m really excited to take my game to the next level.”