Matt Critchley joins Essex on three-year deal

The 25-year-old allrounder was one of the standout players in the 2021 County Championship, scoring 1000 runs and taking 32 wickets

Matt Critchley has left Derbyshire to join Essex on a three-year deal.

The 25-year-old, who made his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 2015, was one of the standout players in the 2021 County Championship, scoring 1,000 runs and taking 32 wickets. Across all formats, he finished 2021 with 1,318 runs and 52 wickets and was named in the PCA men’s team of the year.

Over his seven seasons in Derbyshire’s first-team, Critchley made 187 appearances, scoring 4,092 runs and taking 204 wickets. Scoring 137 not out against Northamptonshire in the 2015 County Championship, he became the youngest player in the club’s history to score a century, while his best figures were 10 for 194 (versus Northamptonshire in 2018).

Commenting on signing for Essex, Critchley said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to be here and to have signed for Essex. Essex have been one of the best teams in the country for the last six years, you just have to look at the players in the dressing room and the trophies they’ve won to know this must be a great place to play your cricket.

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"It was a tough decision to leave Derbyshire, but as soon as I was made aware of the interest, I wanted to make the move and I can’t wait to get going and to pull on the Essex shirt. I’ll always be grateful to Derbyshire for the opportunities the club has given me, to the members for their support and to the coaches and players for some great memories, but the time is right for me to move on and take on a new challenge."

Essex chief executive, John Stephenson, added: "I’m delighted we’ve managed to get this one over the line and that Matt is now an Essex player. It’s important that we look to improve our squad and continue to challenge for the top honours over the coming years. We feel Matt offers excellent attributes with both his batting and bowling across all formats and he’ll make an excellent addition to the team.

"There were a host of clubs chasing Matt’s signature, so it’s a real coup for us that he’s bought into our vision and feels that Chelmsford is the place for him to develop as a cricketer and win titles."

Meanwhile, Derbyshire chairman, Ian Morgan, said: "We’re disappointed to be losing Matt after seeing him develop greatly with the club over the past seven seasons. We were quick to better any offer from another county, however we understand his desire to test himself in Division One and he leaves with our best wishes for the future.

"As a club, we moved to ensure we would be well-compensated for his departure, and we will be using that money to strengthen the first team under a new head of cricket."

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