Fans' favourite Samit extends his stay with Notts

The 33-year-old has scored more than 11,500 first-class runs and in excess of 10,000 in one-day competitions. Capped 60 times by England in all formats, he has also taken more than 300 first-class wickets and 400 in limited-overs matches.

Patel, who was key to Notts’s superb season in 2017, said: “I enjoy playing at my home county, so I’m thrilled to have extended my stay. When I made my debut for the club in 2002, I would have never expected to still be here all these years later. But it’s a great privilege to play at Trent Bridge.

“The club has had some significant success in my time here and, hopefully, there is more to come.”

Patel’s deal covers all formats, Specsavers County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup and Vitality T20 Blast, delighting head coach Peter Moores, who said: “It’s a good move for everybody. Samit loves the club and the members love Samit, so it’s a great fit.

“He has played some fantastic cricket over the last 18 months, so to secure his services now for the next couple of years makes real sense.

“It’s credit to Samit because he has moved his game on and played well under pressure, certainly in one-day cricket, taking us home a lot of times in run chases and playing some crucial innings, and he’s always been very valuable with the ball.”