Beer, Jackson and Piolet sign new contracts at Sussex

The trio have all progressed through the Sussex Youth and Academy ranks at Hove at various stages of their career, and have now penned new deals for 2015.

Horsham Cricket Club’s Beer has mainly been deployed in one-day cricket for Sussex and made a huge impact during 2014, taking 13 wickets in the Sharks’ NatWest T20 Blast campaign, and also starred in the Royal London One-Day Cup, leading Sussex to victory with the bat against Durham.

The 26 year-old said of his new deal, “I’m delighted to have signed a one-year extension to my contract. Sussex is the club I have played for since I was 10 years-old. I love playing for this club and everything it stands for.

“As a personal ambition, after such a good year in white-ball cricket, I’d like to push to seal my place in all three formats, and hopefully push towards winning matches and trophies for Sussex in 2015.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jackson finished as second top run-scorer in the Second Eleven in red-ball cricket in 2014, hitting 653 runs at an average of over 40, including a best of 172 against Middlesex.

The 20 year-old, who hails from Eastbourne, made his first-class debut for Sussex in the summer of 2013 against the Australian touring team, a season in which he made his first-team bow in all three formats of the game at Hove.

Jackson said, “I’m looking forward to building on the successes I had in the second team last year and I hope to challenge for a first team spot, even as solely a batsman if the need arises.

“I’m proud to continue as a Sussex player and to be part of the squad, which looks very exciting for the 2015 season.”

All-rounder Piolet returned to his home county at the end of the 2013 campaign from Warwickshire and went on to figure across all formats of the game for Sussex in the 2014 season.

He particularly made an impact in the one-day formats, playing in all but one of Sussex’s NatWest T20 Blast matches, taking 15 wickets including a best of 3 for 14 against Kent at Canterbury, and featuring in seven of the Sharks’ One-Day Cup matches, smashing an unbeaten 63 from 48 deliveries against Nottinghamshire at Horsham.

Piolet, who also played in six of Sussex’s LV=County Championship matches, said of his new contract, “I’m delighted to agree a new one-year deal with Sussex. It was great to get some County Championship action last year, which was the reason I signed.

“Going forward, the squad is looking very strong and I’m convinced we’ve a huge chance of getting silverware in 2015.”

Sussex’s Professional Cricket Manager Mark Robinson said, “Steffan and Will have both become very consistent and valued one-day players and thoroughly deserve their extensions. We also are very aware of their ambitions to play in all formats and we are looking to keep developing them so they can start to really impact in all formats in the future.

“Callum had an encouraging first year as a full-time professional and we look forward to him making further strides and starting to push hard for a first-team spot.”