Hilton Cartwright pens deal with Derbyshire to fill in for Shan Masood

Australian international Hilton Cartwright has penned a one-month deal with county side Derbyshire. The right-hander comes in as cover for Pakistan's Shan Masood, who will depart for national duties next month. 

Cartwright is expected to play for the county side in their T20 warm-up tie against India on July 1, Friday.

Cartwright is slated to play all the games in England's premier domestic 20-overs tournament, the T20 Blast, and will also feature in three County Championship matches.

Mickey Arthur, the Head of Cricket at Derbyshire, welcomed the association with Cartwright.

In a statement released by the county, Arthur said, "Following Shan's call-up to the Pakistan Test squad for their series next month, we wanted to act quickly to bring in international-quality cover and Hilton will do just that. 

He's a very talented cricketer and his Sheffield Shield record is one of the best for an all-rounder in Australian cricket right now.

"He'll come straight into the mix this week and I'm looking forward to working with him during what is a key part of the season for us."

The all-rounder, who played for Middlesex in 2018, expressed his delight after signing the agreement. He has scored 1,500 T20 runs, including seven fifties at an average of 29.

"This is a great opportunity for me to test myself in the English domestic game again and work with one of the best coaches in the world. The Club's had a great start to the season and as it's getting to a crucial stage of the summer, I'm hoping to contribute with bat and ball to keep the momentum going that the lads have created," he added.

Cartwright has played four T20Is for Australia and has a vast amount of experience in cricket, having played for Western Australia, scoring 3,500+ runs, including seven centuries, and 70 wickets to his name.

The former Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year will make his 'The Hundred' debut this year with the Oval Invincibles side. 

Born in Harare, Cartwright has played for the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars clubs in the BBL.

Replacing Masood, the second-highest scorer in T20 Blast 2022 with 516 runs, will be a challenge for the Australian, and it remains to be seen whether he is up for the task.