Will Jefferson

Squad Number - 1

Player Sponsor - Thomas May www.thomasmay.co.uk

Born - Derby, 25 October, 1979

Joined - Leicestershire end of 2009 season

Role - Right hand opening batsman

Family - Grandfather Jefferson played for the Army and Cmbined Services in the 1920s, Father Richard played for Cambridge University and Surrey

Teams Represented - Essex, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire

Honours - Second division Championship with Essex (2002), England A tour

Highlights of Career - Being awarded county cap at Essex after making 165* in Second Division Championship clinching win against Notts. 222 v Hampshire at Rose Bowl in 2004.

Players Admired - Andy Flower, Nasser Hussain

Relaxations - Reading, pilates, music, spending time with family

Tall opening batsman Will Jefferson joined Leicestershire at the end of the 2009 season following his release from Nottinghamshire.

Jefferson started his career at Essex following impressive performances for Durham UCCE, and has appeared for England Lions in the past.

Unfortunately, his spell at Notts did not go to plan. However, the 6ft 10in batter has an impressive career record and says that a move to Grace Road will give him “a new lease of life.”

Jefferson excelled at school and university level, and in his first full season at Essex, scored nearly 800 runs at around 40.

That season included a match-winning 165 not out against future employers Nottinghamshire at Chelmsford to seal Essex's promotion to Division One, and he gained his county cap in the process.

A string of injuries at a time where lots of batsmen were making their breakthrough at Essex meant both Jefferson and Essex felt he would be better off to find a new home in 2006, and he spent three years at Trent Bridge before moving to Leics.

Jefferson has scored just shy of 5,300 first-class runs at 36.00 and averages a shade under 35 in List A cricket with almost 3,000 runs. He also has a Twenty20 strike rate of just short of 120 and has scored 633 runs in 34 T20 knocks.

Jefferson is also a reliable slip fielder and his experience will be invaluable to Leicestershire’s young batting order in the 2010 campaign.