Strikers secure 'top priority' with Overton locked in for return

Adelaide Strikers have locked in the return of England star Jamie Overton for a third straight season with the allrounder today signing on for KFC BBL|15.

Overton has penned a one-year deal ahead of next month's overseas player draft, with each club permitted to bypass the draft and directly sign one overseas player per season under Big Bash contracting rules.

The Strikers and Sydney Sixers were the only two teams not to retain their direct international signing from last season.

Named the Strikers' BBL MVP last season, the upcoming campaign will be Overton's third with the club after they drafted the hard-hitting allrounder in BBL|13 and BBL|14.

"I've loved my time with the Strikers and the incredible support we get from the fans at Adelaide Oval," he said today.

"It's a fantastic club with a great bunch of lads, and I'm determined to help us push for finals and ultimately, the title in BBL|15."

Pending international selection, with England's white-ball sides scheduled to tour Sri Lanka from mid-January following the Ashes, Overton will be available for the entire BBL|15 season.

He has been named in both England's ODI and T20 squads to face the West Indies this month but unlike last summer's direct signing, Ollie Pope, Overton is less likely to feature in the Ashes later this year after playing his first red-ball game for Surrey in more than a year last weekend.

The right-hander currently holds the highest batting average (69.00) in BBL history with 11 not outs in his 15 innings for the Strikers over the past two seasons.

Adelaide Strikers BBL|15 squad (so far): Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Thomas Kelly, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Alex Ross, Jason Sangha, Matt Short, Henry Thorton

The 31-year-old has also been the club's second most prolific bowler during his time at Adelaide with his 27 wickets only behind leg-spinner Lloyd Pope's 28, making it a no-brainer for them to get him back for another season.

"Securing Jamie as a pre-draft signing was a top priority for us," said head coach Tim Paine.

"His last two seasons with the Strikers have been outstanding, not just with his individual performances with both bat and ball, but also with his competitive spirit and energy he brings to the group.

"He can change the course of a match in just a few overs. This signing is a fantastic first step in building our squad for a successful BBL|15 campaign and we know our members and fans will be delighted to see him back in blue."

Overton dominated for the Strikers in BBL|14, claiming 11 wickets and averaging 95 with the bat with a strike rate of 156, but the club lost their last game of the season after he was called up to the England squad in January, which saw them finish last in the men's competition for the first time.

Securing Overton's return fills an allrounder gap for the Strikers, allowing them to focus on using the draft to build depth in their bowling attack.

While their batters scored heavily in BBL|14, their bowlers conceded the highest percentage of boundaries and more runs per scoring shot than any other team, thrice failing to defend 180-plus totals.

And with their most economical bowler from last season, Brendan Doggett, not returning in BBL|15 after signing a two-year deal with the Renegades, Strikers general manager of cricket, Simon Insley, said they would look to the overseas player market to reinforce their death bowling options.

"Brendan Doggett has moved to the Renegades so we'll be looking at that death bowling specialist in the overseas market," Insley said. "That's something we need to support our list to give us a few more options in the key moments and in the Power Surge rather than just relying on one or two bowlers.

"It's slowly but surely supporting a local spine and then bringing in three ingredients from an overseas player piece, rather than we finished bottom and so we're going to have wholesale changes; we don't think that's the recipe for success."

The Strikers hold the second, 10th, 23rd and 26th picks in the BBL|15 Draft to be held on June 19.