His move was less hyped than others, but Ben Dunk is being tipped to have a big impact for the Strikers
Strikers recruit Dunk tipped to star in BBL
The off-season move of Ben Dunk to the Adelaide Strikers may not have generated the same buzz as the high-profile signings of Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg during the winter, but the left-hander could well prove to be the pickup of the KFC Big Bash League this summer.
Dunk's move to the Strikers from the Hobart Hurricanes was announced a little more than a month ago, with allrounder Hamish Kingston going the other way in a deal struck in the final hours of the league's trade window.
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Dunk topped the run tally in BBL|03 with 395 at an average of 43.88 to be named Player of the Tournament and he also smashed the Australian List A record high-score of 229 not out in the 2014 Matador Cup, form that propelled him into Australia's T20 side that summer.
Australia ODI player and Dunk's new Strikers teammate Travis Head says the left-hander's experience will prove invaluable as the Strikers chase their maiden title this summer.
"Ben Dunk could do it again," Head told cricket.com.au when asked for his pick to be Player of the Tournament in BBL|06, which starts on Tuesday in Sydney.
"Coming over here, a new franchise, I think Adelaide (Oval) will suit him well. The wicket is unbelievable and the boundaries will suit him.
"And he's done it before.
"He's a fantastic pick up. (It's) unfortunate to lose Hamish, he was great last year as an all-round cricketer. But to get someone like Dunky with his experience and also he's been the best in the comp before.
"If he can give us one or two of those games, he's definitely a match-winner and that's what we want in this side."
While Dunk brings a strong reputation with him to Adelaide, he's also coming off a worrying patch of form for Tasmania in both first-class and one-day cricket.
Dunk has managed just one score of 50 or more from 15 innings with the Tigers this summer, having posted totals of 14, 26, 4, 2, 8, 11, 6, 12, 3, 20, 58, 2, 15, 20 and 0.
It's a significant change in fortunes for the 29-year-old, who was the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer with 837 from 10 matches, including a competition high of four centuries.
He also averaged 60 from six matches in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, but managed just 113 runs from eight innings for the Hurricanes in BBL|05.
Dunk is one of six options at the Strikers' disposal to open the batting, along with veteran Craig Simmons, keeper-batsman Tim Ludeman as well as young guns Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey and Kelvin Smith.
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Weatherald has impressed in his short domestic career to date, hitting scores of 66 and 96 in last season's Shield final and hammering a rapid 141 in the Matador Cup last October before his maiden first-class century, a score of 135 against Tasmania last month.
While it's yet to be seen if Weatherald will be given a chance for the Strikers' series opener against Brisbane Heat on Wednesday, Head is predicting big things from the young left-hander.
"The season he's had with South Australia has been remarkable," Head said of the Darwin-born 22-year-old.
"He's averaging about 50 (44.06) from nine Shield games, he's got a couple of hundreds here and there and a massive hundred in the one-day comp this year.
"If he gets a chance this year, he'll become a household name in this Big Bash. He doesn't hold back."