Photo Credit: Hobart Hurricanes
The Hobart Hurricanes are proud to announce a new captain for the KFC BBL|13 Season. Club stalwart, Nathan Ellis, will be leading the Hurricanes in purple during the 2023-24 campaign.
Matthew Wade relinquishes his captaincy from last season, as fast-bowler and Australian representative Nathan Ellis takes over and will lead the team going into his 6th season with the franchise.
Ellis comes into the role following a successful stint as the Vice-Captain, filling in for Wade in a small number of games last season.
Ellis re-signed his contract with the Hurricanes earlier in the year, signing through to the 2026 season. Ellis sits second in the all-time wicket taking ladder at the Hurricanes, only trailing fellow Hurricanes fast-bowler Riley Meredith.
Since his debut for the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2018 during the Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy, Ellis has played in 51 BBL games, taking 61 wickets at an average of 25.54.
The skills that Ellis shows with the ball have resulted in him being considered for higher honours within the Australian limited overs set-up. In his 8 games for the Australian T20 team, Ellis has taken 18 wickets at an average of 11.89 with best figures of 4/28, including a hat-trick in his debut against Bangladesh (the first Australian to ever do so). Ellis was also selected in the upcoming T20 tour of India, alongside Wade where Ellis will be looking to feature in all five matches.
The leadership qualities that Ellis shows on the field and around the club are at the centre of why he was chosen as Captain for this year. He has a strong level of respect within the playing group and is thankful for the opportunity to be leading the purple this year.
“It is a huge honour. Captaining was not something I set out to achieve, or a goal that I set for myself, but to lead the franchise is nothing short of an honour,” said Ellis.
“The Hurricanes are a franchise that I hold very dear to my heart and have done a lot for me. So to have the opportunity to lead and hopefully bring some silverware home to Tasmania is really exciting.”
Hurricanes Head Coach Jeff Vaughan said that appointing Ellis as captain was an easy decision considering his standing within the group.
“We are extremely pleased to announce Nathan Ellis as our captain for the BBL|13 season. He has already led the team in patches last year, and we have the utmost confidence in Nathan as a cricketer and a leader.”
“He embodies everything the Hurricanes stand for; a great work ethic, resilience and a fantastic attitude towards the game and his teammates.”
Ellis will lead the Hobart Hurricanes squad which includes Corey Anderson (o/s), Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Sam Hain (o/s), Peter Hatzoglou, Sam Heazlett, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan (o/s), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade and Mac Wright as the currently contracted Hurricanes for BBL|13.
The Hurricanes will get their BBL|13 campaign underway on December 11, when they take on the Sydney Sixers at home in Launceston.
Tickets for the BBL|13 and WBBL|09 seasons are on sale now. To secure your seat, head to hobarthurricanes.com.au
