Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
The KFC Big Bash League championship Brisbane Heat has re-signed its third highest runs-scorer for a further two seasons, with Max Bryant locked in through to BBL|15.
Bryant, who made his debut as a teenager in BBL|08, has scored 1258 runs and trails only all-time leading BBL scorer Chis Lynn (3005) and 100-gamer Jimmy Peirson (1689) on the club’s list of record-holders.
The 25-year-old batter also possesses the highest career BBL strike rate of the current squad, scoring at 135.26 across his 62 matches for the Heat.
Increasingly versatile after starting his career as an opener alongside the great Brendon McCullum, Bryant has produced a string of influential knocks as a finisher of the Heat innings.
In the BBL|12 Final in Perth, his 31 from 14 balls lifted Brisbane to 7-175, its highest score in a Final.
In last season’s BBL|13 decider at the SCG, Bryant hit 29 from 19 balls to propel Brisbane to what proved a match-winning total of 8-166.
Brisbane Heat coach Johan Botha said the retention of Bryant in the face of keen interest from several BBL rivals had been an important element in the club’s planning.
“Anyone who has followed Max’s career, even casually, knows that he has the skills and application to turn a game,’’ he said.
“He is maturing into a very important player for the Heat – highly versatile with his batting as required by the team’s plans, a great strike rate against spin, a boundary-hitter against pace and a very effective part of our fielding armoury.”
“Securing him for a further two seasons was crucial, considering we have been able to retain the bulk of the group that has been very competitive over the past two years.”
“He’s having an excellent pre-season with Queensland and we’re all looking forward to the summer,’’ Botha said.
Bryant said he was pleased to secure his future ahead of BBL|14.
“There were plenty of offers talked about, but I was keen to stay on with the boys,’’ he said.
“Winning the title last season after going so close the summer before is the highlight of my career to date. There’s a lot of opportunities ahead for us as a club and I’m keen to make the most of them.”
“I look back and still can’t quite believe I got to start my career alongside legends like ‘Lynny’ and ‘Baz’, and now I am walking onto the field with the likes of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser, and all of my mates in the squad,” he said.
Brisbane has announced 12 player signings to date, with all retained members part of the squad that prepared for the Final last season.
Brisbane Heat BBL|14 Squad (to date): Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro (Int), Michael Neser, James Pierson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson.
