The Brisbane Heat have snapped up highly-rated English batsman Tom Abell as the club’s third International signing for his summer’s KFC Big Bash League. The Somerset captain comes to the Heat with glowing reports from Queensland Cricket legend Stuart Law and Heat assistant coach Darren Lehmann, each of whom have coached against the middle order batsman in recent seasons. Heat coach Wade Seccombe said the club was excited to welcome Abell, who took Somerset to the Final of the Vitality Blast T20 competition in September, including a stirring 78 not out from 45 balls in the quarterfinals and 50 in the semi-finals. Abell, who also bowls right-arm medium pace, has played 53 T20 matches with a career strike-rate of 144.94, including stints in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League in the past two years and coming off the back of the English summer where he played for Somerset and the Birmingham Phoenix who both made the finals this season. Abell, who played a season of Premier Cricket in Perth earlier in his career, will not have to go far for insights into what awaits him in the BBL, with Somerset teammate and allrounder Lewis Gregory playing for Brisbane last season.
The Brisbane Heat have snapped up highly-rated English batsman Tom Abell as the club’s third International signing for his summer’s KFC Big Bash League. The Somerset captain comes to the Heat with glowing reports from Queensland Cricket legend Stuart Law and Heat assistant coach Darren Lehmann, each of whom have coached against the middle order batsman in recent seasons. Heat coach Wade Seccombe said the club was excited to welcome Abell, who took Somerset to the Final of the Vitality Blast T20 competition in September, including a stirring 78 not out from 45 balls in the quarterfinals and 50 in the semi-finals. Abell, who also bowls right-arm medium pace, has played 53 T20 matches with a career strike-rate of 144.94, including stints in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League in the past two years and coming off the back of the English summer where he played for Somerset and the Birmingham Phoenix who both made the finals this season. Abell, who played a season of Premier Cricket in Perth earlier in his career, will not have to go far for insights into what awaits him in the BBL, with Somerset teammate and allrounder Lewis Gregory playing for Brisbane last season.
