Watling joins Lancashire

London:New Zealand wicketkeeper-batman BJ Watling has signed a short-term County Championship deal with Lancashire.

The 34-year-old will be their overseas player for the first nine matches of the 2020 season, starting against Kent at Old Trafford on Sunday 12 April.

He is New Zealand’s highest-scoring Test ‘keeper and made a career-best 205 against England last month.

“He adds valuable experience to the batting line-up,” director of cricket Paul Allott told the club website.

“We identified a top-order batsman as a priority in the overseas player market and BJ fits the bill perfectly.”

Watling, who had a two-game stint with Durham in the Championship last season and hit an unbeaten century against Glamorgan, has scored 3,587 runs in 66 Test matches for New Zealand at an average of over 40.

“I enjoyed my first taste of English domestic cricket last year with Durham and I’m looking forward to getting started at Emirates Old Trafford in the new year,” Watling said.

“It’s important to start quickly and I hope I can contribute towards plenty of wins in the first nine games to help the Red Rose challenge towards the top of Division One.”