Ed Joyce signs two-year extension to Sussex deal

Ireland international Ed Joyce has signed a new two-year extension at Sussex which will keep him at the club until the end of the 2016 season at least.

The 35-year-old from Bray has scored over 14,000 first-class runs across a distinguished career, with nearly 5,500 of them coming in Sussex colours following his move to Hove for the beginning of the 2009 season.

Joyce, who became captain of his club in 2012 and earned his 100th cap for Ireland earlier this year, said: “Sussex has brought the best out of me as a player and I’ve loved every minute of my five years at the club.

“We have brilliant people in place at every level of the club and there’s nowhere else I want to be until the end of my career.

“Therefore, I’m very happy the club have given me the opportunity to be at the club for another two seasons.”

Joyce has started the 2014 campaign in superb form, scoring a century against former side Middlesex and hundreds in both innings of the win over Warwickshire – Sussex’s first Championship victory at Edgbaston for 32 years.

His highest Sussex score to date was the unbeaten double-century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last term – a year in which he was the fourth highest run-scorer in County Championship with 1,118 runs. Already this summer he has amassed 482 runs in four Championship matches at an average of 96.40.

Joyce will be in Dublin next week for Ireland’s two One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka at Clontarf.

Sussex’s professional cricket manager Mark Robinson said, “Ed has really grown into the role of captain and led by example both on and off the pitch.

“He has become one of the best batsmen in the country and everybody at the club is delighted that he will be finishing his career here at Hove.”