Browne is staying at home

ESSEX opener Nick Browne has revealed that he leapt at the chance to sign a new contract with the County Champions.

Browne, 26, is now tied to Essex until the end of the 2019 season having scored 952 Championship runs in 2017 as Essex won the title for the first time since 1992, going unbeaten.

Browne has been tipped to earn an England call-up and shared a countyrecord opening stand of 373 with Alastair Cook against Middlesex in June.

He said: “After the season we have had, it was an easy decision to sign a contract extension.

“It was so special to celebrate the Championship at Chelmsford, I really got a sense of how much it meant to the members and fans.

“Winning the County Championship with your home county is something you dream of as a kid and it was an incredible season.”