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Brisbane Heat finalise BBL squad

Trio of signings, headlined by paceman Cameron Gannon, rounds out roster for BBL|07

The Brisbane Heat have applied the finishing touches to their KFC Big Bash League squad by welcoming back a championship winner and adding a rising allrounder and young gun batsman.

Pace bowler Cameron Gannon, a member of the BBL|02 Heat championship squad, re-joins Brisbane after stints with the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars.

Promising South Australian allrounder Cameron Valente joins the Heat for the first time, having previously been a member of the Perth Scorchers title-winning squad last season.

Big-hitting teenage batsman Max Bryant rounds out the trio of signings, with the Gold Coast Dolphins opener making a name for himself during the JLT One Day Cup in October during his time with the Cricket Australia XI.

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Brisbane Heat coach Dan Vettori said he was pleased with the recruits to the squad.

“Ganno has shown in the past he has the skills to compete at this level and we’re delighted to welcome him back into the fold,’’ he said.

“He’s a fine athlete, experienced and has developed his all-round game appreciably to give us variety and skill in our squad.”

 

Redbacks allrounder Valente brings a reputation as a determined lower-order batsman and deceptive right-arm medium-fast bowler –  who topped the domestic one-day wicket-taking stakes two seasons ago – with Vettori liking those attributes after watching the 23-year-old play one-day cricket over the past two seasons.

“Cameron Valente is a talented and composed player. The centuries he has scored for South Australia in List A have all come in high pressure situations and we think his bowling can provide very handy variety,” he said.

Valente stars with four wickets

Bryant, 18, was the Brisbane Heart’s development rookie last season but graduates to the Heat’s senior squad just a matter of weeks after graduating from high school on the Tweed Coast.

A member of the preliminary Australian Under-19 squad for the ICC World Under-19 Cup in New Zealand early next year, the right-handed top order dasher caught the eye with some clean-hitting for the CA XI.

He hit 60 from 48 balls against the Bulls and followed that with a sizzling 89 from 61 balls against a near full-strength NSW team.

He departs for Tasmania next week to play for Queensland in the Under-19 national championships.

Vettori said Bryant had the opportunity to further enhance his skills during the BBL.

“Max has had a taste of what it is like the BBL and now as a part of the full squad, we believe he can continue to develop his game. He’s got some good physical gifts so hopefully we can provide some more insights for him,’’ he said.

Brisbane Heat have also finalised their WBBL squad, with pace bowler Courtney Hill filling the 15th spot.

The Sunshine Coast-based quick missed most of last season with a foot injury but has made a successful return this summer for the Konica Minolta Queensland Fire.

The WBBL Heat are in action from Sunday 10 December when they play their opening Rebel Women’s Big Bash League match in Sydney.

Brisbane Heat squad: Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Jason Floros, Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Shadab Khan (International), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, Brendon McCullum (international, captain), Jimmy Peirson, Matt Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mitchell Swepson, Mark Steketee, Cameron Valente.