Derbyshire snap up Jones

Steffan Jones celebrates one of his 30 championship wickets for Derbyshire during a profitable second half to the summer

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Veteran seamer Steffan Jones, who spent the second half of the season on loan from Somerset to Derbyshire, has signed a permament two-year move to Derby.

The 35-year-old earned a new deal with his former county after taking 30 wickets at 32.33 apiece in nine LV= County Championship matches for them this summer.

He will combine playing duties with helping to coach Derbyshire's bowlers.

Derbyshire head of cricket John Morris said: “Steffan has been an excellent addition to our bowling attack since we brought him in on loan and we are delighted to have secured his services on a more permanent basis.

“Batsmen always know they are in a battle when Steffan is bowling at them and his excellent level of fitness and professionalism is a fine example to other cricketers.”

Jones began his career with seven seasons at Somerset before a three-year stint with Northamptonshire, and a summer at Derbyshire preceded a return to Taunton in 2007.

Despite playing no competitive cricket for Somerset in 2009, and being loaned out to Kent and then Derbyshire - a deal which was extended until the end of the season - Jones was called up to Somerset’s Champions League Twenty20 squad as a late replacement for the injured Mark Turner.

He did not play a game as the Sabres were knocked out at the second stage, and will return to Derbyshire to play Division Two cricket next year.

“Leaving Somerset is sad, but everything comes to an end,” said Jones, who made his debut for the county in 1997. “It is quite hard to take that it has ended so abruptly, but we have to move on.

“I had the opportunity to go on various loan deals and I didn't want to hang around playing second-team cricket. I need to be playing cricket for my own sanity and for my family.”