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Calum MacLeod joins Sussex T20 Blast squad as cover for Phil Salt

Vitality Blast, Cricket

Calum MacLeod, the Scotland batsman whose brilliant century condemned England's World Cup winners to a rare ODI defeat in 2018, has signed for Sussex for the Vitality Blast.

MacLeod, 31, has previously played for Warwickshire, Durham and most recently, Derbyshire. He comes into Sussex's squad to replace Phil Salt, who has been drafted into the England ODI set-up as a reserve for this week's series against Australia.

He has played 49 T20Is for Scotland, as well as 66 ODIs, with eight hundreds in the latter format, including an unbeaten 140 from 94 balls at the Grange in June 2018, as Scotland posted a formidable 371 for 5 against England, and held on for a famous six-run win.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be down here in Sussex," said MacLeod. "It's an exciting opportunity to get out there and play some cricket.

"I've got some good experience having played in the Blast before and hopefully I can add some experience to the dressing room to help win a few games.

"It's a very exciting white-ball squad. Sussex are always a team that when they're on Sky, I sit down and watch them. They've always been a team I've looked at to see how they do things.

"Matt Machan and Stu Whittingham, when we were away with Scotland, always spoke so well of the club, so to get the opportunity to come here and play, and see what this T20 team can do, is one that I'm thoroughly looking forward to."

Sussex head coach, Jason Gillespie added: "Calum is an experienced cricketer, and a good T20 player.

"He's performed well in the Blast in the past and we believe he will be a good addition.

"We're missing a couple of players, and with Salty joining the England squad, it's good to have another option at the top of the order."

Since making his international debut in 2008 against England, MacLeod has scored 2,175 ODI runs and 1,042 IT20 runs. His highest ODI score of 175 came against Canada in a World Cup qualifier in 2014.

In T20Is, MacLeod's highest score of 72 came against Ireland in 2019, while he has also played franchise cricket in Canada's Global T20 tournament and the Afghanistan Premier League, and in 2018, scored a century in the Vitality Blast for Derbyshire Falcons.

He will be available for Thursday night's match against Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl.

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