Alastair Cook: England Test captain signs new Essex contract

Alastair Cook averaged 91.86 for Essex as they won the Division Two title this summer

England Test captain Alastair Cook has signed a one-year contract extension with Essex, keeping him with the Division Two champions until the end of the 2018 season.

Despite also playing seven Tests this summer, Cook, 31, played seven Championship matches for Essex in 2016.

He scored 643 runs at an average of 91.86 to help the county win promotion.

"I love coming back to the club when I can and contributing to a title-winning season meant a great deal," Cook said.

Cook, who has been capped 133 times and scored 10,599 runs at Test level with England, remains centrally contracted by the national side.

He made his first-class debut for Essex in 2003 after coming through the county's academy.

England are touring Bangladesh and India this winter, before home Test series against South Africa and West Indies next summer, but Essex head coach Chris Silverwood is optimistic Cook will score runs for the county next term.

"Hopefully, at the start of next summer, he can be about a bit more and contribute to stabilising our position in County Championship Division One," Silverwood said.