Mitch Wagstaff: Derbyshire batter agrees new 12-month contract

Derbyshire batter Mitch Wagstaff has signed a new one-year deal at the club.

The academy graduate made his first-class debut in the summer and struck two half-centuries in his first three County Championship matches.

He also took two wickets in his first over in red-ball cricket with his occasional leg-spin, becoming the first Derbyshire player to achieve that feat.

"It's a big time in my career - I now have the opportunity to kick on," Wagstaff, 20, said.

Head of cricket Mickey Arthur said Wagstaff, who broke into the first team two years ago, when he played in five One-Day Cup games, had "shown real improvement" since being part of the senior squad and was "starting to build on the promise we believe he has".

"We want local youngsters to be coming into the first team, it's important for this club to produce its own players, so for Mitch to be staying is a big step forward."

Wagstaff follows all-rounder Anuj Dal and long-serving batter Wayne Madsen in agreeing a new deal at the County Ground recently.

Two more all-rounders - Ross Whiteley and Samit Patel - have also signed from next season, along with former Glamorgan and Hampshire batter Aneurin Donald.

Derbyshire begin the new County Championship season with a home game against Gloucestershire, starting on Friday, 5 April.