Brisbane Heat has ignited a surge of contract renewals with spinners Jess Jonassen and Mitchell Swepson committing to two-year extensions, headlining an eventful day of announcements within the Big Bash leagues.
WBBL Heat’s captain, Jess Jonassen, who holds a remarkable record of 119 games for the club and stands as the all-time leading wicket-taker (138) in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League, is poised to extend her reign as records continue to fall. The WBBL|09 will commence with her side taking on Melbourne Renegades on October 20.
Returning from his stint with Glamorgan in English County cricket, Mitchell Swepson will join forces with fellow Australian spinner Matthew Kuhnemann to furnish the Heat with a robust domestic spin attack for the men’s tournament starting in December.
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With an impressive tally of 58 wickets in 68 games for the Heat, the 29-year-old Swepson trails only paceman Mark Steketee (88) as the club’s most prolific wicket-taker.
Both Swepson and Jonassen are set to feature among other Heat luminaries in the KFC T20 Max competition in Brisbane, set to commence next week.
Over at Melbourne Renegades, there is news of exciting young talent Jake Fraser-McGurk extending his tenure through a one-year contract extension, solidifying his commitment to the team at 21 years of age.
In Sydney, pace-bowler Liam Hatcher has made a transition from the Melbourne Stars to the Thunder, inking a two-year deal. Hatcher, with 11 wickets from eight matches for the Stars last season, represented New South Wales in both the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup. His impressive performances have earned him an Australia A call-up for the upcoming series against New Zealand A in Queensland.
On the flip side in Sydney, veteran speedster and two-time BBL champion Jackson Bird makes a triumphant return, marking his allegiance with his native NSW after a decade-long association with Tasmania.
Earlier in the week, 19-year-old leg-spinner Jade Allen also renewed her commitment, with the Sixers embarking on their WBBL journey on October 19 against Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval.
By- Sahiba Suri