STEVE PATTERSON and Alex Lees have both signed new contracts with Yorkshire.

The two Academy products have inked deals to remain at Headingley until 2016 and 2019 respectively, with fast bowler Patterson’s a one-year extension and England Lions opener Lees extending his deal for a further four years.

Both men contributed significantly to last summer’s LV= County Championship title success.

Patterson took 36 wickets, while Lees scored 971 runs.

Patterson, 31, said: “After the year we had last year as a club, I think we’re in a great place.

“It’s exciting to know that I’m going to be a part of that for the next couple of years.

“It’s bizarre when I think about it. I remember being a youngster in the Academy and playing my first few second-team games (in 2002). I joined the Academy at 16 I think, something like that.

“The only difference between me and some of the other lads was that I went to university and didn’t take much involvement in the cricket then.

“The year I finished (mathematics at Leeds) Uni, 2005, I made my first-class debut and played a few List ‘A’ games.

“This will be my 11th year of first-team cricket, and if you’d have asked me that at 21, I would never have believed it.

“Back then, we had Gough, Silverwood, Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom before he left to go to Notts. If you look at all those, as the local lad who has never been involved with any England team, you wonder if you are going to get an opportunity.

“A decade later, to still be here, be a senior figure in the squad and a regular in the side for the last few years, I feel quite proud.”

Lees is currently in South Africa with the Lions, but the 21-year-old has called upon his Yorkshire team-mates to dominate county cricket in the next few years.

“It is a great honour to play for Yorkshire. To have that privilege over the next few years is very satisfying,” he said.

“The sign of a great side is to be successful over a period of time. We have to build on what we achieved in 2014 and hopefully go on to dominate the Championship.”

Meanwhile, fast bowler Moin Ashraf has been forced to return home early from his winter spell of Adelaide grade cricket having suffered a side strain.

Ashraf is expected to be unfit for at least a month.