First Rashid - now Wiese: Sussex get new Vitality Blast boost

The South African all-rounder will be classed as an overseas player, having previously played for the club under a ‘Kolpak’ registration. These will no longer be valid following Britain’s exit from the European Union.

“I’m delighted to be returning to Sussex as an overseas player for the Blast,” said Wiese, whose signing comes just days after the return of Rashid Khan was announced for the 2021 Blast.

“Sussex has been home for the last four seasons and I can’t wait to be back. We have had a fair amount of success in the Blast over the last few seasons, but hopefully we can take it a step further next season.”

Sussex T20 head coach, James Kirtley, was full of praise for the latest addition to his squad: “It's fantastic news that David will be with us next season for the Blast. It will give us peace of mind knowing that a player of David's class will be available for the whole of the tournament.

“He plays a number of roles for us in our T20 side and he continues to play match winning innings such as the one at Lord's this season. He is a great professional, he prepares with diligence and he drives himself physically all of which fits perfectly with the ideals of the club.

“On top of that, his friendly and open demeanour and willingness to help younger players make him an asset in the dressing room and a fine ambassador for Sussex Cricket.”

Performance director Keith Greenfield added: “Securing David for the Blast is great news. His ability to find boundaries and deliver at key times in games is crucial to us, his bowling gives us options and you couldn’t get a better professional for our younger players to learn from.

“With all the uncertainty around the availability of players, having David nailed down for next year’s Blast is excellent news in our quest to win the competition.”

The South African has so far enjoyed four fantastic years in Hove since making his debut against Somerset in a T20 in 2016, and was in scintillating form throughout the 2020 Vitality Blast.

During his time at the 1st Central County Ground, Wiese has impressed with bat and ball across all formats, with white-ball highlights including a T20 five-fer against Essex in 2018 and his stunning 171 vs. Hampshire in 2019 in the Royal London Cup – the highest one-day score in Sussex history.

The 35-year-old was also in brilliant form throughout this year’s Blast campaign, scoring 281 runs at an average of 40.14. His best display came at Lord’s, with Wiese hitting a career-best 79* to seal the Sharks a thrilling win.