Brisbane Heat has signed all-rounder James Bazley and batsman Dan Lawrence for the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League.
Bazley was a Heat rookie player in BBL 4 after the 25-year-old had stamped himself as a player to watch with eye-catching efforts for the Australian U-19 team and as a Queensland Bulls rookie contracted player.
A right-hand batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he played 11 List A games for the Cricket Australia XI over two seasons in the Matador Cup, Australia’s domestic one-day competition.
“It has been quite a journey to get to this point, but I’ve persevered and worked through it and its hugely exciting to finally be back and with the Heat now on the eve of the BBL,” Bazley said.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have had great support along the way and the chance to experience the different challenges away from cricket has been inspiring. I certainly have a different perspective on the game now than when I did when I was starting out and I’m certainly a very different player,” he added.
On the other hand, English batting talent Lawrence becomes the latest BBL debutant for the Heat this summer. He will join the side as an international replacement for fellow Englishman Tom Banton.
The 22-year-old was the stand-out batsman for the English Lions on their unbeaten ‘A’ tour of Australia last summer, hitting two centuries on the way to 498 runs at 98.6 as well as snaring 11 wickets at 23 with his right-arm off-spin.
“The BBL is a bit of a staple diet for us at home during our winter and it will be enormous to be a part of the League out there this summer,” said Lawrence.
“The Lions tour was a rewarding one for a lot of the squad and we certainly enjoyed the competitive cricket we got,” he added.
The Heat opens its season in Canberra on December 11 against the Melbourne Stars, followed by a clash with the Sydney Thunder on December 14 at Manuka Oval before returning home to play the next block of games.
