Alastair Cook: England Test captain agrees new two-year Essex contract

The 31-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the county he made his first-class debut for back in 2003.

Cook has scored 523 runs in Essex's first four matches of this season, including three centuries, as he prepares to lead England in their Test series with Sri Lanka later this month.

He has played 79 first-class matches for Essex, but featured just six times in 2014 and 2015.

"It's great to sign with Essex for another couple of years and I believe there are exciting times ahead for the club under the new head coach," Cook said.