Heat spinners lead fresh wave of Bash re-signings

Brisbane Heat spinners Jess Jonassen and Mitchell Swepson have re-signed on two-year deals to headline a frenzied day of activity in the Big Bash competitions.

WBBL Heat captain Jonassen, who has played a record 119 games for the club and is the all-time leading wicket-taker (138) in the Weber Women's Big Bash League, will look to extend those records when her side kicks off their WBBL|09 campaign against Melbourne Renegades on October 20.

Swepson, recently returned from an English County playing stint with Glamorgan, will join with fellow Aussie tweaker Matthew Kuhnemann to provide the Heat with a strong home-grown spin attack for the men's tournament, which begins in December.

The 29-year-old has taken 58 wickets in 68 games for the Heat, second only to paceman Mark Steketee (88) as the club's most prolific wicket-taker.

Both Swepson and Jonassen will be among a bevy of Heat stars taking part in the KFC T20 Max competition in Brisbane, which gets underway next week.

Elsewhere, Melbourne Renegades announced the re-signing of exciting youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk, with the 21-year-old staying put via a one-year contract extension.

In Sydney, paceman Liam Hatcher has jumped aboard the Thunder from Melbourne Stars, signing a two-year deal. Hatcher collected 11 wickets in eight matches for the Stars last summer and turned out for New South Wales in both the Marsh Sheffield Shield and the Marsh One-Day Cup, and was rewarded for his fine performances with an Australia A call-up for their upcoming series against New Zealand A in Queensland.

On the other side of the Sydney divide, veteran quick and two-time BBL champ Jackson Bird is back on deck, having recently also signed with his native NSW after more than a decade with Tasmania.

Earlier this week, 19-year-old leg-spinner Jade Allen also re-signed, with the Sixers set to open the WBBL on October 19 against Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval.