Rayner signs Sussex deal

7 October 2005

Promising teenager Oliver Rayner is hoping to force his way into the Sussex first team after signing a one-year contract with the club.

The 19-year-old off-spinner was leading wicket-taker for the second XI in 2005 in both four-day and limited-overs cricket. He is also a useful lower-order batsman and is now aiming to secure a successful future at Hove.

"I've got no worries that I will be a successful cricketer,” said Rayner. “I'm going to South Africa for two months to play for Western Province and work on my fitness and hopefully next season I could get a couple of one-day games to get me started.

“The club have backed my ability and I'm looking forward to showing people what I can do."

Sussex have also offered two-year extensions to Carl Hopkinson, Michael Yardy, Luke Wright and Chris Nash and one-year extensions to Chris Adams, Mushtaq Ahmed, James Kirtley and Robin Martin-Jenkins.

New one-year deals have been offered to Jason Lewry, Neil Turk and Sean Heather.

Pakistan international Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has agreed to return to Sussex for the next two seasons and the club are confident Tim Ambrose will sign a new two-year contract by the end of October.

Cricket manager Mark Robinson said: “We definitely see Tim as an important part in the development of our team. He did really well in the last few weeks and we think he's got a big future here, solely as a batsman or keeping as well.

“It's up to Tim. If he feels that he wants to go elsewhere and keep wicket then we will respect that decision.”