Daniel Sams returns to Essex ahead of 2024 T20 Blast

Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams has signed for Essex Cricket as an overseas player for the first eight games of the 2024 T20 Blast. Sams, 31, was the Eagles’ leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in last season’s competition and was named as the competition’s Most Valuable Player following the Club’s run to the final. “Essex Cricket is thrilled to announce the return of Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams as an overseas player for the first eight games of the 2024 Vitality Blast,” the club said in a statement. He has made ten T20I appearances for Australia and has represented teams around the world, including three sides in the IPL and both Sydney outfits in the Big Bash. Sams boasts an explosive overall T20 batting strike rate of 153.78, with a top score of 98 not out, while he has claimed 191 wickets in the format at an average of 24.01. He hit 419 runs in an Eagles shirt last summer including two half-centuries, averaging 29.92, alongside taking 25 wickets at 21.00, to claim the Blast MVP title ahead of Hampshire’s James Vince. “I’m really excited to be heading back to Essex, especially after the year we had in 2023. Chelmsford is a great ground, filled with really passionate fans, and you feel that energy from the stands when they’re packed out under the floodlights,” Sams said of signing the deal that brings him back to The Cloud County Ground for a third successive season as quoted by Essex. “I loved being able to contribute to the success we had last season, and the team, in my opinion, is good enough to have a strong chance of going one better and lifting some silverware,” he added. “We’re obviously delighted to have re-signed Daniel for the Blast this year,” head coach Anthony McGrath said. “He showed us in no uncertain terms what he’s capable of last summer, and he was an instrumental part of our team, so we’re looking forward to seeing him again for the first block of T20 games,” the head coach added. With agency inputs