Ben Mike: Leicestershire re-sign all-rounder after Yorkshire agree to end three-year deal early
- Published
Ben Mike played 18 times in 2023 for Yorkshire but only twice in the County Championship
Leicestershire have re-signed all-rounder Ben Mike on a three-year deal from Yorkshire.
Mike, 25, moved to Headingley ahead of last season on a three-year contract but returns to the East Midlands after Yorkshire agreed to end his deal early.
He played mostly in white-ball cricket for Yorkshire last summer, playing in only two County Championship matches.
"I've learned a lot in my year away. I want to provide exciting moments and be a match-winner," Mike said., external
Having come through the Foxes academy, Mike made his first-class debut against Sussex at Hove in August 2018 and took match-figures of 9-94, which remains his career-best.
He re-joins Leicestershire having taken 80 first-class wickets from 36 matches with 60 coming from 68 white-ball matches.
Mike also averages about 24 with the bat, having scored more than 2,000 runs in all formats.
"I'm very thankful for my time at Yorkshire. I had some honest conversations with the management and whilst they wanted me to stay, it just felt right for my career to make the move back," Mike said.
Mike returns to a Foxes side that enjoyed an excellent season in 2023 that saw them in the mix for promotion to the first division of the Championship before culminating in a first trophy in nearly 40 years with their stunning One-Day Cup win.
With Alfonso Thomas now head coach, Mike will be the third recruit so far ahead of the 2024 season with wicketkeeper Ben Cox's early loan move now permanent and left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis joining from Durham.
"I think I'll really thrive under Alfonso [Thomas]. I spent a short time with him in 2022, but I'm looking forward to linking back up with him," Mike said.
"It's a really exciting time to be at Leicestershire, as we saw at the end of last season with the achievements the Club made. It was great to see close friends do so well, and my aim is to help add to that in the seasons ahead."