Greg Smith and Ben Kitt sign two-year deals with Nottinghamshire

Leicester-born Greg Smith left his home-town club for Nottinghamshire ahead of the 2015 season

Greg Smith and Ben Kitt have signed two-year deals with Nottinghamshire.

Batsman Smith, 27, scored three half-centuries in limited-overs cricket this season, while 21-year-old seamer Kitt has yet to make his first-team debut.

Director of cricket Mick Newell said: "Greg has developed his game, particularly in 20-over cricket, where he played some crucial innings.

"We were looking at this year as a really important year for Ben and he has surpassed expectations."

Kitt has been handed a first professional contract, having taken 101 wickets in a combination of Second XI and academy cricket this summer.

Newell continued: "He can also bowl long spells and as he gets older he'll continue to develop his skills.

"In a similar way to Jake Ball, he's been here a while and is now kicking on, which is good to see."

Smith joined Nottinghamshire from Leicestershire ahead of the 2015 season and scored a crucial 50 off 33 balls in their T20 Blast quarter-final victory over Essex this summer.

"There's no reason why he can't expand his game to get more involved in red-ball cricket and become a top four player across all formats," added Newell.

"I'm very impressed with the way he has improved. Can he improve again in 2017? That's the challenge."