(Photo: Reuters)

By Jonny Leighfield

Lancashire Lightning have signed Australian James Faulkner on a two-year contract for the T20 blast.

The 27-year-old played for Lancashire in their 2015 Blast winning side and was due to re-join them last season but the move was blocked by Australia because of a knee injury.

Speaking to Lancashire CCC’s website Faulkner said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be returning to play for Lancashire Lightning in the T20 Blast for the next two years. I absolutely loved my time with the Club in 2015 and Finals Day at Edgbaston still lives very long in the memory for me.

“I’m very excited to come back and work with Glen Chapple and the rest of the squad who are an extremely talented and exciting group of players.

“Emirates Old Trafford is an amazing place to play cricket and I can’t wait to reunite with the squad next summer. I’m determined to win the T20 Blast trophy back for the Club.”

The Australian was the joint leading wicket taker in the 2015 NatWest T20 Blast with 25 wickets from 13 matches alongside Lancashire spinner Stephen Parry, as well as scoring 302 runs.

Faulkner has taken 170 wickets in 149 T20 matches throughout his career and scored 1,098 runs at a strike rate of 125.