Derbyshire reward Chesney Hughes for best season of his career

Hughes has signed a one-year extension to his current contract, which commits him to the club until the end of the 2016 campaign.

This follows a year in which he scored 816 runs at an average of 33 in 13 matches, including two centuries. The 24-year-old also added 319 runs across the two one-day formats last summer and was named man-of-the-match in the exciting NatWest T20 Blast win over Nottinghamshire Outlaws in June for his innings of 52 off 29 balls.

Derbyshire’s elite performance director Graeme Welch said: “Chesney performed well last season, displaying the capability to bat long when the side needed him to, while also producing powerful knocks in the one-day formats.

“He offers a lot to our side, but we will challenge him now to produce these kind of performances on a regular basis next summer.”

West Indian Hughes said: “I’m very happy to sign a new deal. I was pleased with how I responded to what was a big season for me, getting those two centuries and scoring the most runs I ever have in a campaign.

“It’s important for me now that I build on this, score runs consistently across all forms in 2016 and help Derbyshire win games.”

Hughes, who was born in Anguilla but holds a British passport, joined the county in June 2009 and made his debut in a Pro40 League game against Warwickshire. The following year, he began to show his talent when making 41 on his first-class debut against Middlesex at Lord’s. And two weeks later, he reached three figures for the first time, against Gloucestershire.

A disappointing campaign in 2012 was followed by a return to form during Derbyshire’s brief spell in Division One of the County Championship in 2013 when he fired an unbeaten 270 against Yorkshire, which is the second highest individual innings in the club’s history.

Left-hander Hughes, who has represented West Indies U19s, is only the third Anguillan ever to play county cricket.