³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Australia top-order batter Cameron Bancroft has re-signed for Gloucestershire for the 2024 season.

The 31-year-old has scored 446 runs in 10 Tests for his country and has played in two Ashes series.

Bancroft is the top scorer in the Sheffield Shield, Australia's domestic competition, this winter with 512 runs in six matches.

He will be available to play across all formats for Gloucestershire, following previous spells in 2016 and 2017.

The deal was announced 24 hours after former captain Mark Alleyne was named as the club's new head coach.

"I'm absolutely delighted to sign with Gloucestershire and to have the chance to return to the club where I started my county career," said Bancroft, who has alos played for Durham and had a short spell with Somerset last year.

"I love playing county cricket and the opportunity to play all formats with the club is something I'm really excited about.

"With a new coach and a really talented playing group I'm looking forward to the season ahead."

Bancroft has scored 9,449 runs in 146 first-class matches, including 25 centuries, but served a nine-month ban from international and domestic cricket in 2018 for his part in ball tampering against South Africa before returning to play in the following year's Ashes series.