Cricket

Sydney Thunder has made a significant acquisition ahead of WBBL10 by signing all-rounder Georgia Voll from Brisbane Heat on a three-year contract. Voll, 20, is widely regarded as one of Australia's most promising batting talents and has also made an impact with her offspin bowling.Despite a challenging WBBL season with the bat, Voll showcased her batting prowess later in the season with a double century in the red-ball 'Green and Gold' game and two WNCL hundreds for Queensland. Her all-around abilities attracted interest from multiple WBBL clubs, but Voll was swayed by conversations with Thunder coach Lisa Keightley."I never expected to play for a New South Wales team, but after talking to Lisa and the guys down there, I'm super excited for the opportunity," Voll said. "Lisa was clear on the role she wants me to play, and that got me over the line."Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland praised Voll's talent and potential. "Georgia has shown since the day she arrived on the scene that she is a special talent with both bat and ball," Copeland said. "She is a future Australian star, and this is a huge signing for the club."Voll's departure from Heat marks a period of significant change for the team, which has also lost Amelia Kerr to Sydney Sixers and coach Ashley Noffke. However, Heat has signed South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and still boasts a formidable top order led by Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Laura Harris, and Charli Knott.

Brisbane Heat have bolstered their batting lineup for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) seasons by re-signing former New Zealand international Colin Munro for two more years. Munro, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, has been a prolific run-scorer in T20 cricket, amassing over 10,000 runs in 428 matches.Munro's signing is a significant boost for the Heat, who are aiming to defend their BBL title. The 37-year-old has played a key role in the Heat's recent success, scoring over 500 runs in the past two seasons. He has also been a valuable mentor for the team's younger players.Munro's re-signing is part of a new BBL rule that allows each club to sign one international player on a multi-year deal ahead of the overseas player draft. The Heat have taken advantage of this rule to secure the services of a proven match-winner.Munro will join a strong Heat batting lineup that includes Australian internationals Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw. The team also has a new coach for the upcoming season, with Johan Botha replacing Wade Seccombe.Munro is excited to be part of the Heat's title defense and believes the team has the potential to achieve great things. "It's a strong squad again and I'm looking forward to being part of what we can build together," he said. "There are always opportunities to get better and as a group, we should be excited about the new goals we will pursue this summer."The Heat will be hoping that Munro can continue his impressive form in the BBL and help them to another championship.

Sydney Sixers have pulled off a major coup by signing New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr on a three-year deal, taking advantage of the WBBL's new contracting rules. Kerr, ranked as the world's No. 2 allrounder, joins the Sixers after three successful seasons with the Brisbane Heat.The new rules allow each WBBL club to sign one player outside of the overseas draft, a move designed to retain talent and counter the lure of overseas leagues. The Sixers have made the most of this opportunity by securing the services of one of the most sought-after players in the world.Kerr has been a standout performer for the Heat, winning the club's player-of-the-year award three times. She is a versatile allrounder, capable of contributing with both bat and ball. As a batter, she has scored over 1,000 runs in the WBBL, including a century in the 2021-22 season. With the ball, she has taken 62 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.42.The 23-year-old's decision to join the Sixers was influenced by her family ties to Sydney. Her sister, Jess, played for the Sixers last season, and the opportunity to be closer to family was a major factor in her decision."It was an extremely hard decision to leave Brisbane as the players and staff there have been nothing but good to me," Kerr said. "But with the scheduling of women's cricket there is not much downtime and being based in Sydney was a big part of my decision."The Heat attempted to retain Kerr under the pre-draft multi-year contract system, but ultimately her desire to be closer to family swayed her decision."The Heat were keen to retain Melie and put a competitive offer to her," said Queensland's head of cricket, Joe Dawes. "However, we understand that being near to family is important in this stage of her life."Kerr's departure is a significant loss for the Heat, but the Sixers will be delighted to have secured her services. She is a world-class player who will undoubtedly make a major contribution to their team.

Former South African all-rounder Johan Botha has been appointed as the new head coach of the Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls for the next three years. Botha, 42, was selected after a thorough recruitment process that included Ashley Noffke and Adam Hollioake.Botha, who became an Australian citizen in 2012, has extensive playing and coaching experience. He represented South Africa in 5 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 40 T20Is, captaining the team in 21 white-ball matches. He also captained South Australia in the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup for two years.In the BBL, Botha played 71 matches for the Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers, and Hobart Hurricanes. He retired in 2019 but returned as a fill-in during the COVID-19 pandemic.Botha's coaching experience includes stints with Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, and Islamabad United in the PSL, Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20, and Seattle Orcas in the MLC. He was also an assistant coach with the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.Queensland Cricket head of elite cricket Joe Dawes believes Botha's "harder edge" will benefit the Bulls and Heat. Botha expressed excitement about the opportunity, saying, "There is a lot to look forward to for Queensland Cricket."Botha's appointment is expected to bring a fresh perspective and a focus on competitiveness to the Queensland and Heat programs. His extensive experience and proven leadership skills will be valuable assets as the teams aim for success in the upcoming seasons.

Melbourne Renegades have bolstered their batting lineup with the acquisition of Josh Brown, a BBL-winning batter from Brisbane Heat. The 30-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the Renegades, replacing the retired Aaron Finch.Brown emerged as a late bloomer in the BBL, dominating Brisbane grade cricket before making his mark in the professional league. In his first 23 matches, he has amassed 624 runs at an average of 27.13 and a strike rate of 149.64.His breakout performance came in last season's BBL finals, where he smashed a record-breaking 140 runs off 71 balls against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger. He followed that up with a match-winning 53 in the final against Sydney Sixers, helping Heat secure the title.Brown's impressive form attracted attention from overseas T20 franchises, and he played in the Bangladesh Premier League with Chattogram Challengers. He also made his List A debut for Queensland upon his return from Bangladesh.Renegades general manager James Rosengarten expressed excitement about Brown's addition to the squad. "We've identified a clear role for Josh in our batting order which will have a new look this year," Rosengarten said. "Josh possesses a good balance of aggression and composure, which we all witnessed in the recent BBL finals series."Brown is expected to form a formidable opening partnership with Jake Fraser-McGurk. He expressed gratitude to Heat for giving him the opportunity to play in the BBL but is eager for a new challenge with the Renegades."I've enjoyed my time with the Heat, they gave me my opportunity, for which I'll always be grateful and have cherished memories including winning a BBL Championship last season," Brown said. "But I am extremely excited for a new challenge and hopefully achieve the same success with the Renegades."