Sydney Thunder have bolstered their batting stocks ahead of KFC BBL|16, securing the signature of exciting Queensland young gun Hugo Burdon.
Burdon's in! Thunder add more firepower ahead of BBL|16
The 24-year-old right-handed batter has impressed with a string of strong performances for the Queensland Bulls, catching the attention of Thunder Head Coach Andrew Flintoff and General Manager Trent Copeland.
Earlier this week, Burdon opened the batting for Queensland and scored a valuable 70 runs on day one of the Bulls' Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania.
Burdon has been in fine touch in the One-Day Cup, most notably top-scoring for Queensland with an impressive 73 off 70 deliveries against Victoria.
He backed up that performance with a blistering 67 off just 49 balls against Western Australia last month, helping guide the Bulls to a 15-run victory.
Yet to make his Big Bash debut, Burdon will be hoping to take his game to the next level in lime green, admitting that the opportunity to play under childhood hero Freddie Flintoff is a dream come true.
Hugo Burdon, new Sydney Thunder recruit, said:
"Freddie was an idol of mine growing up. The way he went about his cricket, you couldn't take your eye off the game he was playing. I'm keen to tap into the experience he's gained over the last few years coaching.
"Thunder have some of the most entertaining players with the likes of David Warner and Trent Boult who I'm very excited about playing with.
"I'm aiming to contribute where I can with the bat, bring some explosiveness to the squad and hopefully win some games."
Trent Copeland, Sydney Thunder General Manager, said:
"Hugo is an exciting young batter who's been putting together some really impressive performances, and we love the intent and confidence he brings to the crease.
"He's shown he can score runs at a good rate against quality opposition, and we believe he's got the potential to make a real impact in the Big Bash.
"We're focused on building a squad full of exciting talent who are hungry to take their game to the next level, and Hugo certainly fits that mould."
Sydney Thunder BBL|16 Home Schedule:
Wednesday, December 16 | Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers
Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka (ACT) 7:15 PM (AEDT)
Saturday, December 19 | Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers
ENGIE Stadium (NSW) 7:15 PM (AEDT)
Sunday, December 27 | Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades
ENGIE Stadium (NSW) 7:15 PM (AEDT)
Saturday, January 2 | Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers
ENGIE Stadium (NSW) 7:15 PM (AEDT)
Monday, January 11 | Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars
Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka (ACT) 7:15 PM (AEDT)
Sydney Thunder BBL|16 Squad
Head Coach: Andrew Flintoff
Contracted Players: Cameron Bancroft, Trent Boult (NZ), Sam Billings (ENG), Hugo Burdon, Chris Green, Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Ryan Hadley, Harry Hoekstra, Sam Konstas, Matthew Gilkes, Nic Maddinson, Aidan O’Connor, Daniel Sams, Will Salzmann, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner