Kiwi Ryder to sign for Essex
ESSEX have signed controversial New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder to play in all formats for the rest of the season.
Ryder, 29, averages 40.93 in 18 Tests but has not played in that format since 2011 and was dropped from the squad earlier this year for drinking on the eve of a match.
The left-handed batsman, who also bowls right-arm medium pace, was placed in an induced coma just 13 months ago after suffering a fractured skull and internal injuries in an assault outside a Christchurch bar. Ryder also served a six-month doping ban in 2013 after testing positive for banned stimulants found in weight-loss supplements.