Essex draft South Africa batsman Grant Roelofsen for Royal London Cup

Roelofsen is the leading scorer in the Essex League in 2022, with 1,553 runs in 17 matches and an average of better than 103

South Africa batsman Grant Roelofsen has joined Essex for the Royal London Cup.

Roelofsen, 26, has been playing club cricket in the county with Billericay and will be available for the whole 50-over competition. 

The former South Africa Under-19 international averages a shade under 43 in his 38 professional List A appearances. He has been turning out for Essex's 2nd XI in recent weeks.

"It has been a whirlwind 48 hours, but as soon as I found out there was a chance to represent Essex in the Royal London Cup I was desperate to grab that opportunity," he said.

^{Grant Roelofsen, left, pictured on South Africa Under-19 international duty in 2014 [Getty Images]}

"I know they're a great bunch and I hope that I can contribute towards a strong campaign."

Roelofsen is the leading scorer in the Essex League in 2022, with 1,553 runs in 17 matches and an average of better than 103. He is also a wicketkeeper, which could be useful for Essex given Michael Pepper and Adam Rossington are away on Hundred duty during the Royal London Cup. 

Head coach Anthony McGrath said: "Grant's a player who has been on our radar for a while and his track record speaks for itself.

"Everyone is trying to manage depleted squads as best they can so to be able to add a player of his quality into the batting line-up is a massive coup for us."

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