Matt Carter extends contract with Nottinghamshire

Matt Carter, the England Lions off-spinner and mainstay of the Notts Outlaws’ Vitality Blast winning team, has extended his contract with the county.
Matthew Carter celebrates the wicket of Dane VIlas with Tom Moores during the Vitality T20 Blast semi-final between Notts Outlaws and Lancashire Lightning. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Matthew Carter celebrates the wicket of Dane VIlas with Tom Moores during the Vitality T20 Blast semi-final between Notts Outlaws and Lancashire Lightning. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Matthew Carter celebrates the wicket of Dane VIlas with Tom Moores during the Vitality T20 Blast semi-final between Notts Outlaws and Lancashire Lightning. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

The 24-year-old, a product of the Lincolnshire age group system who made his First-Class debut for Notts as a teenager in 2015, has committed to the club until the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Carter claimed 11 wickets in three red-ball matches during the shortened 2020 campaign, averaging 24 and conceding his runs at a miserly 1.76 per over.

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His breakthrough summer in T20 cricket came 12 months earlier, and Carter has now taken 23 wickets in 22 matches in the format at an average of 22, whilst sustaining an impressive economy rate of 7.41.

"Being an established part of the T20 side for a couple of years, and with getting opportunities in the red-ball side last season as well, I feel that this is an exciting part of my career,” said Carter.

“With how things panned out for me in 2019, people might have thought I was on the way to becoming a white-ball specialist, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Playing all formats is where I want to be, last season was good for me in that regard and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next couple of years bring.

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“There were some really tough times in 2020. Going into lockdown when the season should have been getting underway was mentally one of the biggest challenges I’ve had.

“To come through that and finish the season on a high by winning at Finals Day was special, and hopefully it’s just the start of what this team can do.”

Carter, who initially rose to prominence with first innings figures of 7-56 on his County Championship debut against Somerset in 2015, has represented the England Lions on three occasions having toured India in 2019.

He was drafted by Stephen Fleming to appear for Trent Rockets in The Hundred last summer and shone for the Outlaws in the semi-final of the Blast, snaring the crucial wickets of Liam Livingstone and Dane Vilas on his way to match-changing figures of 2-16.

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“High quality spinners are a precious commodity,” said Nottinghamshire Head Coach Peter Moores.

“To have found and developed one like Matt from within our own ranks is a real bonus for us and we can’t wait to see how he develops in the coming years.

“Finger spinners are often in their thirties before they reach their peak, so there’s lots of time for Matt to develop and fulfil his potential.

“What I love about Matt is that he doesn’t seem to feel pressure.

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“He gives the ball a rip, brings it down from height, he’s increasingly adding subtlety and more variations, and he’s been bowling with remarkable accuracy.

“He’s been a really effective restrictor of runs in T20 cricket for a couple of years now, but drying up the scoring-rate can be crucial in red-ball cricket as well, and Matt did that impressively last summer.

“His First-Class wickets came at less than 24 across three matches. For a young and upcoming off-spinner, those are really impressive numbers and he can look forward to 2021 with confidence for sure.”