Ripley delight as 'loyal' Duckett signs contract extension at Northants

Head coach David Ripley says he is 'delighted' that Ben Duckett has signed a contract extension at Northants.
NEW DEAL - Ben DuckettNEW DEAL - Ben Duckett
NEW DEAL - Ben Duckett

The 21-year-old has enjoyed an amazing year with the bat for the County, with his form resulting in an England call-up for this winter's Test and one-day tours to Bangladesh.

Speculation has been rife for months about the youngster's future, with the Test ground counties believed to keen to entice him away from Northampton.

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But Duckett has now signed a 12-month extension to his Northants deal that means he will be at Wantage Road until at least the end of the summer in 2018.

Ripley said: “We are delighted that Ben has once again committed himself to Northamptonshire.

"It’s good to end the speculation about what his next move might be, but he is loyal and appreciates the experience he has gained here.

"We are all looking forward to watching Ben progress with the England team and to winning more silverware for his club next year and beyond."

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Duckett has gone on the record on several occasions to say how much he enjoys playing for Northants, and he was a key man as the club won the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston in August.

He has forced his way into the England set-up while a County player, and he believes he can further his career at Wantage Road.

"The opportunities that I have had at Northamptonshire have enabled me to gain invaluable game time resulting in an amazing year for me," said the former Stowe School pupil.

"I intend to make the most of playing for my country, which is a dream come true, but I’m looking forward to coming back to Wantage Road and building on Northamptonshire’s success.”

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Duckett was an integral part of the Northants squad in all formats of the game in 2016.

He started the year with 282 not out in the first Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex, and things kept on getting better.

Duckett grabbed his chance in the national limelight when he hit a brilliant 84 in the T20 semi-final win over Notts Outlaws, and that came hot on the heels of a stunning 220 not out for the England Lions in a 50-over game against Sri Lanka A.

The left-hander scored more than 2,700 runs in all competitions in an amazing summer, and has been nominated for the Professional Cricketers' Association player of the year, as well as young player of the year.