Tom Cullen: Glamorgan wicketkeeper gets new deal

Tom Cullen made his first-class debut for Cardiff MCC University against Gloucestershire in April 2015

Glamorgan wicketkeeper Tom Cullen has signed a new one-year contract with the county.

Cullen made his Glamorgan debut in 2017 and played in three out of five Bob Willis Trophy matches in 2020.

The 28-year-old's appearances have been restricted by club captain Chris Cooke keeping wicket in most games.

"I try to bring an edge to the team, the brashness and the feistiness that [Glamorgan coach] Matthew Maynard talked about," Cullen said.

"I think over the last couple of years Glamorgan has been seen to be quite a 'nice guy' team with too many nice, soft individuals. So it's the attitude of trying to stand up to the bigger teams and show we're not going to be pushovers."

The former Cardiff MCCU player could also feature more in 2021 if Cooke is again picked by Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred franchise tournament.

Cullen took over as wicketkeeper in the final four-day match of the 2020 season to relieve the pressure on Cooke as captain and top-order batsman, with Maynard paying tribute to his "feisty" character.

He is hoping to appear alongside Cooke again in future.

"I enjoyed the dynamic of Chris and myself playing in that way, it made us play in a tougher way," Cullen told BBC Sport Wales.

"When I came into the team in 2019 I wanted to put my own attitude into the team, I think when I'm around and especially when I'm keeping we are a tougher side to beat

Australian-born Cullen has played 16 first-class matches for Glamorgan in all, including a seven-match run behind the stumps in 2019 when he hit four half-centuries in a successful spell for the county.

Cullen is also critical of his own performances in the brief 2020 season.

"I'm really excited to get a new contract, (2020) was a year where we were pretty disappointing in the four-day game and I was part of that," he admitted.

"So to get shown the faith shows that hopefully I'm a part of Glamorgan moving forward for next year and beyond.

"My batting was not good enough this year. I averaged 44 when I was keeping in 2019, so trying to recapture that is critical to myself and Glamorgan as we keep making strides towards being the team we want to be."

Cullen also captained the second XI to their T20 title in 2019, but has not played limited-overs cricket for Glamorgan's first team.

Glamorgan will play Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire and Sussex in their Championship conference in 2021- with their winless record in four-day cricket in 2020 seeing them slip to the fifth tier of seeds.

Rollovers confirmed

Meanwhile, Glamorgan have confirmed that seamer Timm van der Gugten and batsman Charlie Hemphrey will continue with the club next season.

Both have triggered clauses in their contracts earning them another season, on the basis of performances in the last two seasons.

There is doubt over whether South African fast bowler Marchant de Lange can continue as a UK player on his wife's passport after Brexit, with Glamorgan already having overseas batsman Marnus Labuschagne and Colin Ingram on their books.