Alastair Cook made his first-class debut in 2003 for Essex

England batsman Alastair Cook has signed a two-year contract extension with Essex, taking him up to 2011.

The 23-year-old's previous deal took him up to the end of the 2009 campaign.

He is the second Essex cricketer to commit to the club this week after captain Mark Pettini signed an improved contract on Wednesday.

"I'm delighted to have signed a deal to continue my relationship with Essex for the foreseeable future," Cook told the Essex website.

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"I hope to play for England for as long and as much as I can but it's important to have the support of everyone at Essex, who are a county moving forward very quickly."

Cook signed the deal before heading off to the West Indies to represent England in the Stanford Twenty20 Super Series.

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