Photo Credit: Brisbane Heat
The WBBL Brisbane Heat will roll out the welcome mat for South African allrounder Anneke Bosch as well as herald the return of Proteas allrounder Nadine de Klerk for the coming summer.
Bosch, 27, has signed on for her inaugural season in the Women’s Big Bash League while de Klerk will return for her second summer in teal in the wake of some impressive efforts last year.
The 21-year-old came to the fore at the back end of the Heat’s seven game winning streak that took them into the semi-finals, producing a fighting double of 2-13 and 27 runs in the loss to eventual champions the Sydney Thunder.
Bosch, who works as a sports scientist away from cricket, came to the fore for South Africa earlier this year on their limited overs tour of India.
The right-hand bat and right-arm medium-pacer produced a player of the match innings of 58 in the fifth ODI on the way to a 4-1 series win for the Proteas.
She then hammered a game-winning 66 not out from 49 balls in the first game of the T20I series.
Bosch made her international debut in 2016 against Australia in Canberra and went onto four games before dropping out of the squad for a time. She was recalled to the Proteas squad last year for India’s tour of South Africa.
She is currently returning from injury sustained after South Africa’s Emerging Players tour of Zimbabwe in May where she hit scores of 41, 46 and 109 in the One Day matches contested.
WBBL Heat coach Ashley Noffke said the addition of Bosch and the return of de Klerk provided a competitive edge for the squad.
“We were really impressed with Nadine and how she adapted and improved across the tournament, which was played in some pretty challenging conditions due to the strict bio-security regime we all had to follow,’’ he said.
“She’s ultra-competitive and give us another player who likes to get in and get the job done. She bowled well last season and did some unselfish work with the bat when it was needed.”
“Anneke impressed us with her composure as well as her ability. In all our dealings with her, and the scouting we did before signing her, her strengths are that she is a talented individual who also works hard to enhance the other players around her.”
“With Delissa Kimmince retiring, it will be great to have another experienced player in the group who can contribute on and off the field for the club.”
Noffke also congratulated the club’s latest Australian player with star bat Georgia Redmayne announced last week in the national squad for the coming series against India.
Redmayne, who is currently in hotel quarantine in Queensland after completing her stint with the Welsh Fire in the women’s Hundred in the United Kingdom, has been rewarded for her prolific WNCL form in the Queensland Fire’s championship season, where she scored 531 runs at 132.75 with two centuries, which backed up her being Brisbane Heat’s leading run-scorer in the WBBL with 357 at 32.45.
“We’re all absolutely delighted for ‘Redders’,’’ Noffke said. “She knocked the door down with her performances, which you have to do to break into such a strong line-up as the Australian one is.”
“She is a great example of how working hard and working smart can reap deserved rewards. We’re looking forward to catching up with her once she is out of quarantine and ready for national duties.”
The WBBL Heat has now announced the following recruits for WBBL|07: Jess Jonassen (c), Anneke Bosch (int), Nadine de Klerk (Int), Grace Harris, Laura Kimmince, Mikayla Hinkley, Charli Knott, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Redmayne, Georgia Voll.
