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Tasmania pick up leg-spinner Boyce

Tigers in double swoop after Australia T20 rep and Simon Milenko are let go by Queensland

Cameron Boyce will line up for Tasmania in next summer’s Sheffield Shield as the Australia T20 leg spinner looks to further his claims in the first-class arena.

Boyce, who has played seven T20 Internationals for his country and narrowly missed selection for the recent ICC WT20 tournament in India when fellow leggie Adam Zampa was preferred, will leave his native Queensland in search of further opportunities.

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Despite being a recent regular in Australia’s T20 squads, the 26-year-old was unable to secure a regular place in the my FootDR Queensland Bulls Sheffield Shield XI last summer and he – along with fellow Bulls all-rounder Simon Milenko – were today confirmed in Cricket Tasmania’s 2016-17 contract list.

Having represented the Hobart Hurricanes for the past three season in the KFC Big Bash League, Boyce will now base himself in Hobart in a bid to add to the 45 first-class appearances he made for the Bulls and Cricket Australia representative teams since 2010.

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He played just one Shield game for Queensland last summer (against Victoria at the MCG in October) with 22-year-old leg spinner Mitchell Swepson preferred in the role of specialist spinner by the Bulls later in the summer.

“While I want to publicly thank Queensland Cricket for their help and support over the years I cannot wait to be a member of both the Hobart Hurricanes and the Tasmanian Tigers together and look forward to working hard and getting great results on the field,” Boyce said in a statement released by Cricket Tasmania today.

As well as Boyce and Milenko, who is originally from Lismore in northern New South Wales but played four Shield and seven one-day games for Queensland, the Tigers have also signed Victorians Cameron Stevenson, Andrew Perrin and Jake Hancock as well as regional NSW rookie Mac Wright.

CT’s General Manager Cricket Andrew Dykes also announced that local pace bowler Cameron Wheatley and promising young Tasmanian all-rounder Corey Murfet have been included in a list that is minus recent retirees Ben Hilfenhaus and Luke Butterworth as well as delisted players Clive Rose, Evan Gulbis, Tom Triffit and Sean Willis.

“We have some very new faces added to our list but also some familiar faces who have been a part of the Hobart Hurricanes squad and the Tasmanian cricket system,” Dykes said.

“While there is plenty of youth, with Tassie having the third youngest playing list behind South Australia and Western Australia, we are confident we have signed a strong Tasmanian team full of new signings and some very positive re-signings.”

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Queensland Cricket said today it was a tough decision to let Boyce and Milenko leave given the successful rebuilding program the Bulls began under new coach Phil Jaques last summer, but their wish to pursue more opportunities was understandable.

“As a coach you don’t like to see players leave the squad but you also don’t want to stand in the way of people pursuing their goals and making the best of their skills,’’ Jaques said today.

“It says a lot that Simon (Milenko) helped Redlands to win a (grade cricket) premiership and finish on a high while Boycey maintained his enthusiasm and his work levels all the way through.

“I wish them both the best.”. 

The my FootDr Queensland Bulls High Performance General Manager Brett Jones added his thanks to the service both players had provided to the Bulls in recent years.

“Both Cam and Simon are focused on playing as much first class cricket as possible,” Jones said.

“After approaches from other States we reluctantly agreed to release both players.

“Queensland Cricket will always put the players’ interests first and we are pleased to see that we continue to provide talent to Australian cricket.

“It is never an easy decision for a player to make to leave their home State but both Cam and Simon go with our best wishes and knowledge they remain welcome around Queensland Cricket in the future.”

Tasmania’s 2016-17 contract list

Cricket Australia contracts - George Bailey, James Faulkner

Full contracts - Jackson Bird, Cameron Boyce, Xavier Doherty, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Ben Dunk, Andrew Fekete, Jake Hancock, Hamish Kingston, Ben McDermott, Dominic Michael, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine, Andrew Perrin, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Cameron Stevenson, Beau Webster, Cameron Wheatley

Rookie contracts - Gabe Bell, Caleb Jewell, Ryan Lees, Riley Meredith, Corey Murfet, Mac Wright

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