Essex confirm that New Zealand all-rounder, Jimmy Neesham, has extended his stay at Chelmsford.

He will be available for selection for the LV= Insurance County Championship fixture with Derbyshire, starting on Sunday, and the Royal London Cup campaign, once his commitments with Welsh Fire in the Hundred have concluded.

The 30-year-old initially joined the Club for the Vitality Blast campaign, but following Peter Siddle’s early exit, will remain at the Club until the conclusion of this year's 50-over format.

Neesham's Hundred commitments mean that he will miss the first three Royal London Cup fixtures against Hampshire Hawks, Middlesex and Worcestershire Rapids, but will be back and available for selection for the Battle of the Bridge clash with Kent Spitfires on Sunday 01 August.

Neesham has played 12 Test matches for New Zealand, averaging 33.76 with the bat and chipping in with 14 wickets. He made his Test debut against India in 2014 and scored an unbeaten 137, setting a new record for the highest score on Test debut by a number 8 batsman. He scored another century in his second Test against the West Indies and became the first New Zealander to score centuries in their first two Tests.

Neesham has played 66 One-Day Internationals for New Zealand and averages 28.69 with the bat and 31.45 with the ball. His highest score of 97* came against Pakistan during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup whilst his best bowling figures of 5/27 came against Bangladesh earlier in the year.

Upon signing his extension with the Club, Neesham said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Chelmsford so far, so when the opportunity to stay on a bit longer came up, I didn’t have to think twice.

“There’s a lot of talent in that dressing room and I’m excited to play in the different formats with the guys.

“With any luck, we’ll be able to replicate some of the recent success the Club has had and bring some more silverware to The Cloudfm County Ground.”