Taylor makes Notts switch

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England Lions batsman James Taylor becomes Notts' third capture of the off-season by signing a three-year contract at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire have signed highly-regarded batsman James Taylor from Leicestershire.

The 21-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Trent Bridge and follows paceman Harry Gurney in making the move from Grace Road.

Leicestershire will receive compensation after allowing the England Lions batsman to enter negotiations with Notts despite him having another year to run on his deal.

Taylor, who made his senior England debut in a one-day international against Ireland during August, has been a formidable force for Leicestershire across all formats, scoring 1,000 first-class runs for three consecutive seasons, and boasts an average of 49 in both List A and first-class cricket as well as 35 in Twenty20s.

Despite being offered a contract extension at Leicestershire, Taylor is determined to prove himself in the top tier of the LV= County Championship.

Taylor, who was part of the Foxes side that won the Friends Life t20 this year, said: “I’m thankful to Leicestershire for allowing me to speak to other counties as I feel that I will benefit from playing against the best teams in four-day cricket.

“Nottinghamshire have a talented squad that can challenge on all fronts and I am pleased to be part of that.

"I will always be grateful to Leicestershire for the part they have played in my development but it is time to move on and I am looking forward to the new season."

Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell added: “James is already on England’s radar and we hope that he can play a part for us on his way to realising his international ambitions.

“This is a significant signing for us and we hope that he can make an impact in all competitions.

Taylor's departure from Grace Road saddened chief executive Mike Siddall, who said: "This is a disappointing day for the club."

“There was a lot of interest from counties for James’ signature and we are very pleased that he has chosen to commit to Nottinghamshire.”

Taylor is the second batsman to join Notts this off-season after the arrival of opener Michael Lumb from Hampshire and although Newell is delighted with his new additions, he may be prepared to strengthen his squad even further with the capture of an experienced overseas player.

“We lost Mark Wagh and Ali Brown last season but James and Michael are fitting replacements and they were our primary targets,” Newell said.

“The international calendar may also present us with an opportunity to recruit an overseas batsman and we’re exploring that to see if we can do a deal with the right player.”

Leicestershire chief executive Mike Siddall was left disheartened after Taylor decided to pursue a career away from Grace Road.

He said: “This is a disappointing day for the club. We offered James a two-year extension to his existing deal which he rejected.

"Although he was contracted to the county for the 2012 season he expressed a wish to leave and we allowed him to further his ambitions by talking to other counties.

"James has chosen to join Nottinghamshire and a compensation deal has been agreed. Everybody at Leicestershire wishes James well for the future.”

Head coach Phil Whitticase added: “Whilst we are disappointed with the outcome, we thank James for the contribution he has made to Leicestershire since he joined the club’s development pathway in 2002.

"James is another graduate of the successful Grace Road development system having played for England U19s, captained England Lions and represented England at ODI-level whilst with Leicestershire.

"It is our aim to continue to produce players of James’ calibre in the future.”

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