LANCASHIRE have signed New Zealand internationals Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme for the 2023 season.

The pair will be available for both their County Championship and T20 Blast campaigns, with the county finishing runners-up in both last year.

De Grandhomme, 36, will join before the season, with Mitchell, 31, joining in time to face Somerset on 11 May.

Director of cricket performance Mark Chilton said the signings would help during a busy mid-season spell.

“We are excited to add Daryl and Colin to our squad and to be able to do so for such a large portion of the 2023 season – which was a key factor for us when looking to make overseas additions this year,” he said.

“The schedule, as it has been for the last few years, continues to be really challenging particularly in the middle part of the summer throughout May, June and July, due to the amount of cricket we’re playing in a short period.

“With that in mind, we want to ensure we’ve got enough strength in depth to cover for all eventualities and Daryl and Colin provide us with exactly that.”
During New Zealand’s tour of England in 2022, Mitchell, 31, scored two fifties and three centuries, including 190 at Trent Bridge, and has scored 5,038 runs with an average of more than 40 from 90 first-class matches.

All-rounder De Grandhomme has hit 15 centuries in first-class cricket, taking 212 red-ball wickets and hitting more than 4,000 T20 runs across the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League and T20 Blast.

“I really enjoy playing in English conditions and the special history of the game around the country. I have very fond memories of my two tours to England with New Zealand and hope to build more with Lancashire,” Mitchell said.

De Grandhomme added: “Lancashire has an exciting squad who have been so close to silverware in the last couple of years, hopefully I can help to add some experience to the dressing room so that we can go one step further this season.”