Sydney Thunder will head into the upcoming KFC BBL|14 Draft locked and loaded with Pick 3, following the announcement earlier today of English star Sam Billings’ return to Western Sydney.
Thunder lock in Pick 3 for BBL|14 Draft
The results of the BBL|14 Draft Lottery follow those announced for the Weber WBBL|10 Draft yesterday, with Thunder set to take Pick 5 into the WBBL event.
Both Draft Lotteries were conducted via two draws that saw Picks 1-4 drawn from teams that did not participate in last season’s Finals, with Finalists then drawing for Picks 5-8.
BBL|14 Draft Lottery order:
1. Melbourne Stars
2. Melbourne Renegades
3. Sydney Thunder
4. Hobart Hurricanes
5. Adelaide Strikers
6. Brisbane Heat
7. Perth Scorchers
8. Sydney Sixers
The Lottery determines the order of selections in Rounds One, Two and Four of the Draft. Round Three is conducted in reverse order.
The full Draft order is below:
Thunder have already traded their second-round pick with the Adelaide Strikers as part of their deal to acquire quick Wes Agar earlier this year.
Thunder’s draftees will join pre-signed international star Sam Billings, who has been contracted on a multi-year deal with the club, ensuring he will remain in Western Sydney for the next three seasons.
Clubs have the ability to select up to four overseas players in the Draft, inclusive of any pre-signed, multi-year international player. These players must be allocated to a Draft pick during the event, commensurate with the player’s salary band.
A fourth player selected becomes the club’s first overseas replacement player.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, said:
“The build up to the BBL|14 and WBBL|10 Drafts has now gathered full steam, with the Lotteries following a strong start to the player nominations period.
“We have also welcomed the first of our pre-signed, multi-year internationals this week in Amelia Kerr and Sam Billings and are delighted they have committed long term to the Big Bash.
“We look forward to making further announcements regarding the Drafts soon, including details of the Draft night itself and our first group of player nominations.”
Dates and broadcast details for the Draft events will be announced shortly.