Cricket: Otago sign two English imports for Twenty20

Otago have signed two English imports for the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in December.

Kent allrounder Darren Stevens will be joined by Sussex middle order batsman and offspinner Chris Nash after Otago decided against re-signing Pakistani Yasir Arafat, who played for them last summer.

Otago Cricket today said while it was happy with Arafat's contributions, it felt the Otago side needed a different skills set from their overseas players.

Otago initially sought to re-sign England international Dimitri Mascarenhas, who played for the province in 2008-09, but he will be sidelined until after Christmas by injury.

Stevens is regarded as a powerful striker of the ball with an ability to bat anywhere in the order as well as being a more than useful medium pacer, who often opens the bowling for Kent.

Nash has been a regular member of the Sussex side who have dominated the limited overs versions of the game on the English county scene in recent years.

Both are coming off impressive Twenty20 seasons for their respective counties, with Nash scoring 299 runs at an average of 24.91 and a strike rate of 128.32, as well as taking 13 wickets at 17.39 with an economy rate of 6.84.

Stevens managed 369 runs at an average of 41 and a strike rate of 149.39, and also took 12 wickets at an average of a touch over 23.

Nash and Stevens have both been contracted to Otago from late November until early January, meaning they will be available only for the Twenty20 competition.

The 2010-11 Twenty20 competition starts on December 2, with the final scheduled for January 2.