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All-rounder Grant Flower has signed a new two-year contract with Essex that will keep him at the Club until the end of the 2008 season.

The 35-year-old featured in 18 matches for the first-team in 2006, including six County Championship appearances in which he scored 307 runs @ 34.11 and took seven wickets @ 23.71.

The former Zimbabwe international also played a significant part in Essex’s successful NatWest Pro40 campaign with his tight spells of slow bowling and ability in the field.

Flower told the Essex CCC website:

“I see myself more now in the one-day set-up, but if there are any injuries or loss of form then hopefully I can be ready to take my chances in the Championship side as well.

“I seemed to be playing more as a bowler towards the end of last season, because our batting was so strong, but wherever I play I’m pretty relaxed. To grab a cliché, the team is the biggest part of any side - it’s not about the individual - and if the team’s doing well and I’ve got some sort of role with Essex then I’ll be pretty happy.”

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Worcestershire CCC has confirmed that local businessman, Martyn ‘Percy’ Price, has been elected the new Chairman of the Club with immediate effect. 60-year-old Price has been a life long supporter of Worcestershire Cricket and was co-opted onto the Board nearly a year ago.

Price, who headed the Ground Development team, says, “It is a huge honour to be elected to this position and I look forward to working with all those groups and organisations with an interest in Worcestershire Cricket over the coming years. My predecessor, John Elliott, has left the Club in a very good position both on and off the field and we are now entering a very exciting period for the Club.”

Dave Broughall was elected Vice Chairman and Tim Curtis was elected to the Contingencies and Remunerations Committee.

About the new Chairman…

Martyn Price was born in Stourbridge, West Midlands, and attended Pedmore C of E school until the age of 11, and then King Edward VI, Stourbridge, from 11 – 17 years.

After leaving school, Price worked at Midland Bank for 3 years before joining an industrial fastenings company where he continued to work for 6 years.

In 1972, he established Martyn Price (Bolts & Nuts) Ltd. He sold the business in March 2006 but continues to support them in a consultancy capacity in the short term.

Price has several property interests and was a major shareholder for 10 years in a casino in Stoke- on-Trent.

Price is an avid sports fan and, in addition to WCCC membership, has been a season ticket holder at Wolverhampton Wanderers for the past 40 years and shares a box at Worcester Rugby Club. He is a keen golfer who has enjoyed a single-figure handicap for 30 years. He mainly plays at Blackwell Golf Club, but holds membership at five other clubs, including Royal Porthcawl, Soto Grande and Valderrama.

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Fast bowler Alex Tudor has signed a two-year contract with Essex that will keep him at the Club until the end of the 2008 season.

The 28-year-old made a successful comeback in the 2006 season after missing much of his first year at the County through injury.

Tudor featured in 11 Championship matches, taking 28 wickets @ 42.67 and scoring 362 runs @ 30.16 (including a career best of 144 against Derbyshire at The Ford County Ground).

Tudor told the Essex CCC website:
“I’m very delighted to finally put pen to paper and both parties seem happy with the contract. There are still incentives for playing more games but, most importantly, I was given the amount of years I was looking for. It shows the Club are backing me and are happy with me. As a cricketer when you have a year-by-year contract it can be frustrating but now I can relax and play my cricket.”

Essex Chief Executive David East told the Essex CCC website:
“Alex has been given a two-year contract with the Club of which, as in previous years, an element relates to him making appearances in both Championship and one-day matches. But I think it’s very evident that he has demonstrated his fitness in the last year - he didn’t miss a game through injury and played in the last 10 Championship matches in a row - and made a significant contribution to our position in the Championship table this year (third). We are delighted he has come through his injury issues and everyone is comfortable with the structure of this particular contract going forward.”

Alex Tudor will be taking part in a series of coaching clinics over the winter as part of the ‘First Class’ coaching company. Alex will be joined by several other professional cricketers such as Paul Weekes, Owais Shah, Michael Carberry and Grant Flower.

Sessions are held at Ilford County High School on Fridays (5.30pm - 9.00pm) and Sundays (9.00am-1.30pm) and Bancrofts School on Saturday afternoons.

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