Aces announce four HRV Twenty20 overseas pros

Aces announce four HRV Twenty20 overseas pros

The Auckland Aces will have a wealth of specialized Twenty20 talent available to them for this season's HRV Twenty20 with the announcement of the signing of Brad Hodge, Luke Wright, David Willey and James Fuller.

Hodge returns after playing the first game of the Aces HRV Cup campaign last season and is one of the most experienced Twenty20 players in world cricket. The veteran Australian has wracked up 5567 Twenty20 runs and has the added bonus of being a bowling option.

All-rounder Wright is a current England international and was seen here earlier in the year in their tour of New Zealand. Wright is also no stranger to HRV action having been here for the 2010-11 competition.

Willey was the success story of the 2013 Twenty20 season in England where the left-handed all-rounder helped Northamptonshire to win the competition with a 19 ball half century and a hat-trick as part of a four wicket haul.

Fuller is a former-Aucklander turned professional for Gloucestershire who helped the Otago Volts to the HRV Twenty20 title last season. A fast bowler who can also hit the ball a long way, he will provide the Aces with some real firepower at the bowling crease and importantly is available for the whole HRV Twenty20 campaign.

Hodge will be here for the first three games, whilst Wright will be available for the home double header on 29 and 30 November, and Willey will miss the first three rounds but will be here for the remainder of the competition.

Aces coach Matt Horne expressed his delight at the signings.

"To secure these guys for the HRV Twenty20 is really huge for us. All of them are proven Twenty20 performers and each one gives us something different. We think they'll provide us with some real strikepower and we're looking forward to them joining us from November."

Brad Hodge T20 career statistics
Batting
Matches: 196
Innings: 188
Runs: 5567
Average: 36.62
High score: 106
Strike rate: 129.58

Bowling
Overs: 177
Wickets: 62
Average: 22.12
Best bowling: 4/13
Economy rate: 7.75

Luke Wright T20 career statistics
Batting
Matches: 167
Innings: 148
Runs: 3453
Average: 25.96
High score: 117
Strike rate: 146.49

Bowling
Overs: 278.5
Wickets: 72
Average: 32.75
Best bowling: 3/17
Economy rate: 8.45

David Willey T20 career statistics
Batting
Matches: 60
Innings: 38
Runs: 446
Average: 19.41
High score: 60
Strike rate: 122.30

Bowling
Overs: 128.2
Wickets: 53
Average: 17.30
Best bowling: 4/9
Economy rate: 7.14

James Fuller T20 career statistics
Batting
Matches: 22
Innings: 11
Runs: 142
Average: 20.28
High score: 36
Strike rate: 156.04

Bowling
Overs: 78.5
Wickets: 28
Average: 24.78
Best bowling: 4/24
Economy rate: 8.80

ENDS

© Scoop Media