Bowler David Payne signs three-year extension at Gloucestershire
29 September 2023
Pace bowler David Payne has signed a three-year contract extension at Gloucestershire which will see him remain at the Club until at least the end of the 2026 season.
The new deal for 32-year-old Payne, who first signed a professional deal at Glos in 2009, is a white-ball contract for the 2024 season onwards. While Payne is not retiring from red-ball cricket and is open to a return to playing the longer format of the game at some point, the decision to focus on limited-overs cricket comes out of the need for him to carefully manage his load in the interest of career longevity.
Speaking of his delight at extending his time at Gloucestershire, Payne said: “I’m delighted to be committing another three years to Gloucestershire, a Club that’s been my home for as long as I can remember.
“I have taken the decision to sign a white-ball deal with the intention of prolonging my career as I’ve found red-ball loads and the impact the format has on my body very challenging over the past two seasons. I am still leaving myself available to play red-ball cricket at some point in the future in the hope I can get my body to a place that can cope with the strain red-ball cricket has on the body.
“It’s been great working with Dale since he came in and I’m excited for what the future holds. It’s been a difficult couple of years on the field but I am very keen to play my part in helping to turn things around.”
Payne began his career at Gloucestershire in the Club’s Academy setup back in 2007 at the age of 16. He went on to sign his first professional deal at the age of 18 in October 2009 and the following summer took 7-29, including four wickets in as many balls in a CB40 match against Essex at Colchester, the best one-day bowling figures in Gloucestershire’s history.
In his 14-year professional career at Shire, Payne has played in 115 first-class matches and has taken 328 wickets with a red ball. He has made 67 List A appearances and has claimed 113 wickets at an average of 24.55.
In T20 cricket for Glos, Payne has made 125 appearances and is the Club’s leading wicket-taker in the format with 160 at an average of 21.91.
Among his many achievements at Gloucestershire is Payne’s involvement in the Shire team that won the 2015 Royal London Cup at Lord’s and the 2020 Gloucestershire team that made it to T20 Finals Day.
This season, Payne took 15 wickets in the Vitality Blast, Shire’s second-highest wicket-taker behind Tom Smith, and played an important role in the latter stages of the Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign that saw Gloucestershire reach the semi-final stage.
Dale Benkenstein, Head Coach at Gloucestershire Cricket, commented: "It's great news that Payney has signed with Gloucestershire for the next three years. Payney is a match winner with the ball and an invaluable leader at the Club.
"He brings with him a world of experience having played for England and in franchise tournaments around the world. It will be great to harness this experience as we look to bring success on the field in the seasons ahead."
