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Dutch bowler Paul van Meekeren signs two-year-deal at Gloucestershire

4 November 2021

Gloucestershire Cricket have signed 28-year-old Dutch international Paul van Meekeren on a two-year-deal.

The fast bowler, who most recently played in the T20 World Cup for the Netherlands, will be available to play as a domestic player in all formats of cricket for The Shire in 2022 and 2023. 

van Meekeren will link up with his new teammates at Bristol County Ground for pre-season training later this month ahead of the Club’s return to Division One of the LV= Insurance County Championship next season.

Speaking of his joy at signing for Gloucestershire, van Meekeren said:

“I’m very happy to join the Club at a time when it’s moving forward on and off the field. I’m ready to hit the ground running and can’t wait to join up with the squad next week.

“Gloucestershire have had an exciting couple of years and hopefully I can contribute to a new era of success. It would be an honour to help this Club bring home a trophy and with the support of a packed Bristol County Ground, I’m confident we’ll be in the hunt for silverware.”

This year, van Meekeren became the first Dutch player to feature in the Caribbean Premier League after being picked up by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. He took eight wickets in eight matches at an average of 21.7 as the Patriots claimed their maiden CPL title.

van Meekeren will be the first Dutch national to play for Gloucestershire in the Club’s 151-year history, and joins the Club having played English domestic cricket since 2016. Following a three-year stint at Somerset, he signed for Durham in July 2021 for the final three matches of their Vitality Blast campaign in which he took four wickets.

In his career so far, van Meekeren has taken 48 International T20 wickets in 46 matches for the Netherlands and, most recently, took one wicket during an eight wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.

As well as featuring for Durham in the Vitality Blast last season, van Meekeren was also part of Durham’s Royal London Cup side. During his participation in the tournament he took an impressive 14 wickets in seven matches, with his best bowling figures of 3/33 coming in a nine wicket victory over Hampshire, at Chester-le Street, in mid-August.

Throughout his career, van Meekeran has taken a total of 65 wickets in 72 matches in T20 cricket and 63 wickets in 56 matches in List A cricket.

Gloucestershire Cricket Interim Head Coach, Ian Harvey, said:

“Paul brings bags of experience to the Club and provides the squad with extra strength in depth, for what will be another intensely competitive season next year. As a player with international experience under his belt, we’re excited to have Paul onboard and expect him to thrive in front of a packed Bristol County Ground.”

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