Warner locks in future with New South Wales

Two days after missing a Cricket Australia contract, the opener David Warner has signed with New South Wales for three years to end the chances of a move interstate. Despite being a fixture of Australia's Twenty20 side, Warner is not a first-choice Sheffield Shield player for the Blues and appeared in two 2nd XI games during the summer.

There had been talk Warner, 23, would leave the SCG in the hope of gaining more first-class action but he has decided to stay at home. "It's great news," he said. "I am very much looking forward to continuing my playing career at NSW. I have played all my junior and senior cricket here and I would like to perform well for my home state."

Warner doesn't want to remain pigeon-holed as a limited-overs star and hopes to be part of the New South Wales tradition of producing "great cricketers". Dave Gilbert, New South Wales' chief executive, said Warner has a very promising future.

"We are obviously thrilled to have secured his services for the next three years," Gilbert said. "His performances over the past 18 months in limited-overs cricket have been exceptional and, at times, stunning. He is determined to make his mark in the longer form of the game and Cricket NSW will provide him with the necessary support to achieve his aims."

In the Sheffield Shield over the summer he scored 89 runs in three games and 195 in eight FR Cup appearances. It is in the shortest form that he excels and his strike-rate was an amazing 232.87 in five Twenty20 domestic fixtures, which came after he helped the Blues to the inaugural Champions League trophy in India. He is currently with Delhi in the IPL and has signed with Middlesex for their Twenty20 Cup campaign in England.