Matt Parkinson signs Lancashire contract extension

The 25-year-old, who has made nine white-ball appearances for England, took 49 wickets for Lancashire in 2021 in the County Championship and T20 Blast

Matt Parkinson has signed a contract extension with Lancashire which will keep him at Emirates Old Trafford until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The 25-year-old leg-spinner, who came through the club’s academy, took 49 wickets 21 appearances for the club in 2021, featuring in both the County Championship and T20 Blast.

He has also made nine white-ball appearances for England since making his T20I debut in November 2019, taking 11 wickets across both formats.

Securing the spinner’s services for another two seasons is a shrewd piece of business on Lancashire’s part.

Despite his relatively young age, Parkinson has been the club’s premier white-ball bowler for several seasons, twinning a miserly economy of 7.42 with 1.5 wickets per match in T20 cricket.

^{Parkinson representing England in July 2021 [Stu Forster/Getty Images]}

He requires just 31 dismissals to overtake Stephen Parry as the club’s all-time leading T20 wicket-taker (118 wickets) despite playing 65 matches fewer than the retired spinner – a record he will likely capture before the end of his new contract.

However, it is his improvement with the red-ball which will excite head coach Glen Chapple the most.

Parkinson missed the Bob Willis Trophy after being selected in England’s 55-man training squad but returned in 2021 with 36 wickets at 20.55 – a haul second only to seamer Tom Bailey (50) and the first 30-plus wicket season of his red-ball career.

As well as leading to comparisons with Shane Warne and prompting discussions about a bright Test future, his wickets were integral in Lancashire’s second-place finish in the County Championship and conjured up memories of another left-arm spinner, Gary Keedy, who took a team-leading 61 wickets when the club last captured the red-ball crown in 2011.  

The only concern is how much time Lancashire have before his international commitments impact his involvement on domestic circuit.

Commenting on his contract extension, Parkinson said: "It is a great feeling to know that I will be playing my cricket at Emirates Old Trafford for another two seasons and hopefully many more after that.

Did @mattyparky96 bowl the ball of 2021? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/iqMV4jLvPt

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) December 31, 2021

"The club has shown great faith in me since my early days in the academy as a 13-year-old and I hope that my performances in recent years have repaid their trust and will continue to do so.

"Last year felt like a real breakthrough season for me in red-ball cricket and it was brilliant to be able to contribute to so many winning performances.

"We came so close to bringing a trophy back to Emirates Old Trafford last summer and I think with the squad we have built here and the hard work we are putting in, it is just a matter of time before we achieve something really special."

Director of cricket, Mark Chilton, added: "Parky is regarded as one of the world’s best white-ball spinners and we are thrilled that we have secured his services for at least another two seasons.

"His red-ball bowling has improved immensely in the last couple of years and, even at 25, Matt is now one of our more experienced players with over 100 appearances in all formats behind him.

"He is very much the leader of our young crop of spin bowlers, and we will be looking for him to pass on his experiences to the likes of Tom Hartley and Jack Morley in the years to come."