Reece Topley joins Melbourne Renegades for BBL 11

The 27-year-old fast bowler has made 19 white-ball appearances for England, taking 25 wickets

Reece Topley has signed for Melbourne Renegades for the 2021-22 Big Bash.

The 27-year-old fast bowler has made 19 white-ball appearances for England, taking 25 wickets, and is currently in the UAE as a reserve player for the T20 World Cup.

Topley, who represents Surrey in county cricket, has taken 119 wickets in 92 career T20 appearances, 102 of which have come in the T20 Blast.

He also represented Oval Invincibles in the inaugural season of The Hundred, taking four wickets, but is yet to appear in an overseas T20 competition.

Commenting on signing for Renegades, Topley said: "I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Melbourne Renegades. Playing in the Big Bash is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve been to Melbourne so many times, so I’m really excited to represent one of my favourite cities.

^{Topley, second right, has taken 25 wickets in 19 appearances for England}

"I was out in Melbourne the year (the Renegades) won it, I was at the game as well and I’ve got incredible memories from that night. I know quite a lot of the guys already so I look forward to seeing some old friends and meeting some new guys as well.

"I like to bowl in those pressure scenarios, I like to try to close out games or take wickets with the new ball. I really embrace that challenge and look forward to taking on whatever role I’m given."

Melbourne Renegades lifted their maiden BBL title in 2019, defeating local rivals Melbourne Stars in the final, but have won just seven matches over the past two seasons. However, head coach, David Saker, believes Topley will be an important addition to the Renegades squad.

"We’re rapt to secure Reece and are really excited about what he bring to our team," he said. "He is an experienced bowler who offers the ability to swing the ball up front in the powerplay and to bowl in pressure situations at the death.

"We believe Reece adds a real point of difference as a tall left-arm fast bowler that will complement our pace attack, working alongside the likes of Kane Richardson and James Pattinson."

General manager, James Rosengarten, added: "Reece is our first overseas player announcement for BBL|11 and we believe he will be a great fit for our group on and off the field. We’re looking forward to announcing some more exciting international additions to our team as we keep building towards the season."

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