The opportunity to sign one of the best young cricketers in the English game wasn’t allowed to pass Notts by as they swooped to secure the services of James Taylor in December 2011.

Having made his debut for Leicestershire in 2008r, James scored maiden centuries in both 4-day and one-day cricket a year later. The same season also resulted in him becoming the youngest player for the Grace Road side to score 1,000 runs in a season and also the youngest to register a double century after an innings of 207 not out against Surrey.

Two further double hundreds, 206 not out against Middlesex in 2010 and 237 against Loughborough UCCE last summer, provide further evidence of his ability to build huge scores when set.

A former England Under-19 international, James has appeared regularly for the England Lions since early in 2010 and worked under Notts director of cricket, Mick Newell in the Caribbean at the start of 2011.

The 5’5” right-hander captained the Lions later last year and also in Bangladesh in early 2012.

James’ final season with the Foxes ended in triumph, with him collecting a winner’s medal after his side’s success in the Friends Provident Twenty20 and then gaining further international exposure with appearances in the Champions League in India.

 He arrives at Trent Bridge with one full ODI appearance to his name, having played in a rain-affected victory over Ireland in Dublin last August.