Joyce to depart Middlesex

Ed Joyce will be available for Middlesex during the first Champions League - in India

Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce will leave the county at the end of the year.

Joyce, 30, told Middlesex of his intention to depart during the trip to Antigua for the Stanford Super Series.

Irish-born Joyce has played in 17 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals for England. He captained England Lions in a 50-over match against South Africa in August, having toured India with them last winter.

He led Middlesex to Twenty20 Cup glory in July after an injury to Ed Smith but handed over the mantle to Shaun Udal in early September.

He will remain a Middlesex player until the end of their Twenty20 Champions League campaign in December.

Middlesex chief executive Vinny Codrington said: “Ed has been nothing but professional and thorough and has communicated with me through the process.

“We agreed with Ed back in September that he would be available for both Antigua and the Champions League, whatever his decision, as he was an integral part of our successful 2008 Twenty20 campaign.

“He leaves with our best wishes and hopefully can help bring home the Champions League title as a leaving present. We would like to wish Ed all the best in the future.”