da jogodeouro： Derbyshire have signed Michael Dighton, the 31-year-old Tasmania batsman, after they received ECB clearance to complete the deal
da dobrowin： Cricinfo staff20-Jun-2007
Michael Dighton is looking forward to an increased workload if he is cleared to play for Derbyshire © Getty Images
Derbyshire have signed Michael Dighton, the 31-year-old Tasmania batsman, after they received ECB clearance to complete the deal on Thursday, which comes a week after Graeme Welch announced his retirement owing to injury. The move has been sealed in time for Derbyshire’s opening Twenty20 match at home to Nottinghamshire on Friday.Dighton, who holds a British passport and qualifies as a non-overseas player, is known for his top-order aggression, including a Twenty20 century against New South Wales in January which was quick even by the short game’s standards. He faced only 56 balls for his 111 in a destructive performance.The deal gives Dighton a chance to play alongside his fellow Australians. “Simon Katich and Travis Birt are both very good friends of mine and I can’t wait to play a lot of cricket with them,” he said.He also put a positive spin on the impending workload. “I have not played the volume of cricket that county cricket offers before and that is exciting,” he said. “I am going to enjoy the experience of playing day in, day out.”David Houghton, Derbyshire’s director of cricket, said: “Everybody is aware of the problems that we have had with injuries in recent weeks and although they are starting to clear, increased competition for places is never a bad thing.”Dighton has been consistent at first-class level, with eight hundreds and 17 fifties in 55 matches at an average of 37.62. He played two one-dayers for Hampshire in 2004, scoring a match-winning 74 from 64 balls against Gloucestershire.
