Mickleburgh signs new deal

Essex have signed teenage batsman Jaik Mickleburgh to a new contract that takes him through the 2010 season.

Teenager rewarded for first-team breakthrough

Essex have signed teenage batsman Jaik Mickleburgh to a new contract that takes him through the 2010 season. The 18-year-old has been upgraded from an Academy-Professional contract after a fine season that saw him progress from being a second XI regular to the first-team. He made his championship debut against Leicestershire in August, scoring 60 in his maiden innings, and followed that up with 72 in his next match against Warwickshire last week. Mickleburgh is due to spend the winter in Australia at Paul Terry's Aus Cricket Academy from mid-October to mid-February, although his stay there would be cut short if he was selected for the England Under-19s trip to South Africa at the start of 2009. "I believe this contract is a reward for my progress over the year, including my performances in the seconds," he said. "I then couldn't have asked for a better start to my First XI career and hopefully I can do that on a consistent basis. "Making my debut for a team that I've been working my way towards for years was obviously the highlight of my year but that was topped off by scoring a half-century on debut."