Sam Conners is pleased to have extended his stay with Derbyshire and is looking forward to kicking on with his home county.
The 22-year-old quick penned a one-year contract extension, keeping him at The Incora County Ground until the end of the 2023 season, after enjoying something of a breakout year in red ball cricket.
Conners has so far claimed 19 wickets at an average of 26.15 in 2021, including a maiden first-class five-wicket haul against Durham in April. While injury ruled him out of the entire Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup, the fast bowler is in line to return for Derbyshire’s final four first-class games of the campaign, starting with next week’s match against Middlesex at Lord’s.
With his future secured for the next two seasons at least, Conners is excited to continue his development with Derbyshire and give back to the club he’s been with for more than a decade.
“It means everything to me, this is my home county,” he said.
“I’ve been here since under 9s and I want to stay with Derbyshire for as long as I can, it’s my home. I want to keep putting performances in and make the Members happy.
“The main aim this year was to try to build on what I did last season and cement a spot in the first team. I wanted to take early wickets and contribute to the team, unfortunately it hasn’t come with the results we would have liked, but it’s been good to keep developing with this group.”
Ahead of his return to first team cricket, Conners turned out for the Second XI against Nottinghamshire at Lady Bay, claiming six wickets in an eight-wicket victory.
Monday will be the first time he has played at Lord’s since 2019, when he also returned from injury for the final game of the season. Since then, Conners has become an established member of the first team, and he’s looking forward to chartering his progress in next week’s fixture.
“It’s funny, because in 2019 I made my return at Lord’s as well, so it’s almost like I’ve gone back in time,” he added.
“I’m excited to get down there, because Lord’s is always special place to go and you have to embrace it when you get the chance to play there. Playing in the Second XI this week was good, I’ve put myself in a good position for next week, so hopefully I can put in a good performance for the lads and the Members.”
