Stars snatch NZ gun Allen from Scorchers in huge BBL coup

Melbourne Stars have poached one the world's finest T20 openers with New Zealand power-hitter Finn Allen to play for the club in KFC BBL|16.

Allen has played the past two Big Bash seasons with Perth Scorchers but has been lured to the Stars on what is understood to be a mammoth three-year deal.

The 27-year-old produced a tournament leading 466 runs last season to help the Scorchers to an unprecedented sixth men's title in BBL|15. But the right-hander has opted not to return to Perth this summer after they couldn't match the Stars' lucrative offer for their reigning Simon Katich Medallist.

Instead, the Kiwi blaster joins forces with white-ball superstars Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis in a huge boost for the only club yet to win a Big Bash title.

"The Stars are a powerhouse team in this competition, so it's going to be a lot of fun playing for them," Allen said in a statement.

"They've already got a huge fanbase and they're only getting bigger, and I can't wait to be a part of that. I think all cricketers love playing at the MCG, so to be able to call that my home ground now is really exciting."

Allen arrived at the Scorchers as the club's first BBL pre-signing under rules that allowed every club to secure one international prior to the overseas player draft, a concept that has since been scrapped by league officials for both men's and women's competitions.

Although he struggled with the bat during his first season in Perth, scoring 181 runs in 10 innings, the powerful opener bounced back emphatically a year later, clubbing the most sixes in a single Big Bash season (38) and earning selection in the BBL|15 Team of the Tournament.

His best knock came against the Renegades at Marvel Stadium when he crunched 101 from just 53 deliveries, also scoring 49 and 36 in the Scorchers' finals matches.

Since lifting the BBL trophy in January, Allen has been part of a New Zealand side that reached the final of the men's T20 World Cup, slamming an unbeaten 33-ball century in their semi-final win over South Africa.

He then crushed 349 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders in his maiden Indian Premier League stint, which included another century against Delhi Capitals.

A fourth season with the Cricket Victoria-aligned San Francisco Unicorns followed before a third stint in the Hundred for the Auckland native, playing nine games for runners-up Trent Rockets.

Allen is the Stars' second men's signing since the league lifted a contracting embargo that had been in place from February.

Test-capped off-spinner Todd Murphy was added to their BBL|16 squad on Friday, joining forces with leg-spinner Mitch Swepson, while England's Overton brothers, Jamie and Craig, have also been linked with the Stars in recent days.

Allen fills the 12th spot on new head coach Cameron White's 18-man roster for BBL|16.

Melbourne Stars BBL|16 squad (so far)

Contracted for BBL|16: Finn Allen (contracted until BBL|18), Austin Anlezark (BBL|16), Hilton Cartwright (BBL|17), Sam Harper (BBL|17), Liam Hatcher (BBL|16), Campbell Kellaway (BBL|17), Glenn Maxwell (BBL|17), Todd Murphy (BBL|16), Tom Rogers (BBL|16), Peter Siddle (BBL|16), Marcus Stoinis (BBL|16), Mitch Swepson (BBL|17)

 

Uncontracted: Scott Boland, Joe Clarke (England), Sam Hain (England), Blake Macdonald, Hamish McKenzie, Jon Merlo, Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Aryan Sharma, Mark Steketee, Tom Whitney

 

Head coach: Cameron White