Hampshire Cricket have signed Essex bowler Reece Topley.

The 6ft 7 in left-arm swing bowler has signed a two year contract, keeping him at the Ageas Bowl until the end of the 2017 season.

The 21-year old picked up the wicket of Mitchell Marsh during an impressive England T20 debut in the five-run win over Australia yesterday at the SWALEC Stadium.

Topley, who will officially join Hampshire at the end of the current domestic season, said: “I am delighted to be joining Hampshire, a club I have admired from a distance for some time.

“I know I am not the finished article and hope that at 21 years old Hampshire can help me develop into a regular international bowler in the coming years.

“I feel the environment at the Ageas Bowl will assist me ‘in being the best I possibly can be’ and I am tremendously excited.”

Topley has outstanding red and white ball statistics for his age. He was not only the standout bowler at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia, but the country’s leading wicket-taker in the 2012 and 2013 Friends Life t20 campaigns.

Topley’s 125 first class victims have been taken at an impressive cost of 25.78 and he is currently the leading wicket taker in this year’s Royal London One-Day Cup with 20 wickets – including 4-26 against Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl.

Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White said: “Reece is an exciting addition to the squad. He is a young bowler with huge potential that has the ability to impact games in both red and white ball cricket. “What was evident during our talks was a strong desire to improve and I hope that we can help him realise his ambition of playing for England in all formats.

“We are delighted that he is joining Hampshire.”