Warwickshire County Cricket Club has confirmed two-year contract extensions with Academy graduates George Panyai and Liam Banks and a one-year deal with Australian-born, Berkswell CC bowler Ryan Sidebottom.
Right-arm fast bowler Panayi (19) made his debut in the day/night Specsavers County Championship against Lancashire at Edgbaston in June and had made two First Class appearance to date. Having graduated from the Warwickshire CCC Academy last year, the Shrewsbury CC bowler has won three Test and one One-Day International (ODI) caps for England Under 19s.
Batsman Banks (18) joined the Warwickshire CCC Academy in 2013 and graduated, with Panayi, to an academy development contract last season. Still to make his senior debut, Banks played one Test and five ODIs for England Under 19s earlier this summer against India. He also joined West Bromwich Dartmouth from his home club of Hem Heath, in Staffordshire, earlier this year to play Birmingham & District Premier League cricket.
Our transformation process is very much underway and George, Liam and Ryan have important roles to play in helping the club return to challenging for honours across all formats.
Ashley Giles
Sidebottom (28) signed his first professional contract with the Bears in early August after impressing for the second XI on trial. After starting the season with reigning Birmingham & District Premier League champions Berkswell, he made his senior Warwickshire debut in the Specsavers County Championship victory over Middlesex at Lord’s and has taken 13 wickets to date in three appearances for the club.
Ashley Giles, Sport Director at Warwickshire CCC, said: “Our transformation process is very much underway and George, Liam and Ryan have important roles to play in helping the club return to challenging for honours across all formats.
“George experienced Championship cricket earlier this summer and made a good impression, taking four wickets and bowling with good pace and control against international batsmen.
“Liam has shown great promise across all formats of the game in the second team, with a stand-out innings of 181 against Derbyshire in the Championship in May. His goal now is to push for a place in the first team by scoring heavily on a more consistent basis.
“Ryan has been an excellent addition to the squad and we’ve been pleased with his performances in the three championship games that he’s played to date, with his 13 wickets coming at an average of just 18.3. He’s worked incredibly hard to reach the professional ranks at this stage of his career and we look forward to seeing him challenge for a place in other formats of the game next season.”
