Soth Africa all-rounder Malan’s set for a return to Middlesex for 2023

MIDDLESEX Cricket have announced that South African batting all-rounder Pieter Malan will return to the club for the whole of the 2023 season.

Malan, 33, joined Middlesex midway through the 2022 season and played a significant role in the club’s County Championship promotionwinning campaign this year.

He will re-join Middlesex in April 2023 and be available for the remainder of the season through to the end of September.

In red-ball cricket for Middlesex this summer, he made his debut in the County Championship against Sussex at Lord’s in mid-July, hitting 64 in his very first innings for Middlesex. His highest score was the crucial 93 he hit against Worcestershire at New Road in the fixture that confirmed Middlesex’s promotion.

He ended the summer with 200 first-class runs to his name, from five matches, at an average of 33.33.

In List-A cricket he again scored a half-century on his debut, hitting 50 against Leicestershire at Radlett in the Royal London One-Day Cup, and backed this up with three further half-centuries and one brilliant match-winning knock of 110 against Somerset in Taunton.

He finished the summer with 394 List-A runs at an average of 65.66 from seven innings.

Malan will return to the Club with more than 19,000 career runs to his name and brings a wealth of experience to the Middlesex line-up, having made more than 350 career appearances, including three at Test level for South Africa.

Speaking of Malan’s return to Middlesex, head of men’s performance cricket, Alan Coleman, said: “We are thrilled that Pieter will be returning to Middlesex for the 2023 season.

“He made a huge impact in his time with the club this summer and we can’t wait to have him back in the home dressing room next year.

“He brings not only a huge amount of quality and experience to the side, but also a real drive, passion and commitment to succeed. He works extremely hard at his game and is the ideal role model for our younger players to play alongside and learn from.

“Right from the outset this summer he hit the ground running, finding good form early, and consistently making an impact at the crease.

“The innings of 93 he hit against Worcestershire in our final game was the standout innings of the season for me, given the really tough conditions, the challenging surface, and the importance of the match situation – it was absolute worldclass. We can’t wait to welcome Pieter back next year and look forward to him joining up with the side again.”

On returning to Middlesex, Malan added: “I’m delighted to be returning to Middlesex and Lords next season. I was made to feel so welcome from day one, which made the decision to return very easy.

“Being part of the Championship promotion push at the end of the season was fantastic and I’m really excited to see the team continue their journey in Division One next year.”