Asitha Fernando gets English county contract with Notts

Asitha Fernando, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, has signed to play for Nottinghamshire in the final three rounds of the County Championship.

Fernando, 26, has taken 35 wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 28.97 and is set for his first spell in county cricket, bolstering Notts seam-bowling options for the last few weeks of the season.

“Asitha has already shown his talent on the international stage, and we believe he has the skillset needed to be successful in English conditions,” Notts Head Coach Peter Moores, said. “We're excited to have him with us, and he will add much needed depth to our bowling resources until the end of the season.”

“We've had some misfortune with injuries and we're still in the situation of not having our full complement of seamers available. This has meant greater workloads for a smaller number of bowlers, and Asitha can help ease that pressure over the course of our run-in.”

Nottinghamshire are currently seventh in the table out of 10 teams.

Former Sri Lanka Captain Gamini Goonesena was the other Lankan cricketer to play for Nottinghamshire in the fifties.