Gloucestershire have signed Australian Cameron Bancroft as their overseas player for the first two months of the upcoming season.
Subject to being granted a visa, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman will fill in at the Bristol County Ground for the first five County Championship games of the season until Michael Klinger rejoins the club at the end of May.
Bancroft was the third highest scorer in last year’s Sheffield Shield, and the Western Australian was rewarded with a T20 Internaitonal debut for Australia against India last month.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “He’s been performing really well for Western Australia in four-day cricket for the last few seasons batting at the top of the order.
BREAKING NEWS: We are delighted to announce the signing of Cameron Bancroft. Welcome to GCCC https://t.co/TxFbuyciMe pic.twitter.com/v5wWwysfkz
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) February 15, 2016
“He will bolster our batting during that period and he also gives us cover with the gloves if required.
“I talked to him this week and his hunger to come over and have a crack at county cricket really impressed me; he wants to come and learn and improve his game and that was massive for me.”
Bancroft added: “It is a great honour to be given the opportunity to come and play for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club at the beginning of the season.
“The club comes with a great history and I am looking forward to being a part of that and contributing plenty of runs to help drive this team to success this season. I can’t wait!”
Source: ECB