“I’m really looking forward to taking to the field as a proud Bear”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott has bid farewell to his international career after signing a Kolpak deal with the Birmingham Bears.

Elliott stole the spotlight in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup as he struck a six off the penultimate ball of the match, which was bowled by South Africa pace demon Dale Steyn, to lead the Black Caps to their first-ever World Cup final.

The 38-year-old also represented them at the World Twenty20 last year, but hasn’t played international cricket since then.

“I’m very excited,” Elliott said. “Edgbaston is a fantastic place to play cricket, and I’m really looking forward to taking to the field as a proud Bear and hope to contribute to more success for the club in 2017.”

Even though Elliott will only play in the Natwest T20 Blast, Warwickshire’s sport director Ashley Giles is glad to have him on board.

“Grant has proven himself as a match-winner on the biggest stage,” Giles said. “He top scored in the final and semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and he has a wealth of T20 experience, having played in several of the world’s leading competitions.

“Securing Grant, and the earlier addition of Colin de Grandhomme, gives us the additional batting firepower that we wanted to complement a strong top order. He also gives us even more options with the ball and has good experience of English conditions.

“As a teammate of Jeetan [Patel], we know that Grant has great character and he will play an important role in developing the younger members of the squad. He will be a proud Bear and we look forward to welcoming him to Edgbaston in July.”