Australian batsman Michael Klinger has signed a new two-year English county cricket deal after an impressive season with Gloucestershire on all fronts.
The 35-year-old returned to Bristol earlier this year having been the top-scorer in the Big Bash League with the Perth Scorchers and the second-highest run-scorer with Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
Klinger, in his third season with the county, heads the scoring charts in the T20 Blast with 654 at an average of 81.75, including three centuries, while his two hundreds in five one-day cup matches have helped Gloucestershire into the quarter-finals.
He has made 468 runs in the County Championship division two - with another couple of three-figure scores - at 46.8 and is closing in on 10,000 first-class runs.
His new agreement will start from June next year, allowing him to take a break following the end of the Australian domestic summer.
"I am delighted to commit to Gloucestershire for the next two seasons," he said.
"I am extremely grateful that the club has given me some flexibility to be able to spend the majority of April and May with my family in Perth as, with such busy schedules in both Australia and the UK, this extra time to be a 'normal dad' is very important to me.
"I see my role over the next two seasons as continuing to score runs and helping Gloucestershire win games of cricket, but also to help develop future leaders at the club."
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson added: "His performances with the bat this year have been fantastic in all formats and he continues to help the development of this group of players in the changing room.
"With Michael deciding to sign a new contract, this development can continue."
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