Mitchell Marsh hit an unbeaten 41-ball 50 © Getty Images
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has joined his brother Shaun Marsh as Glamorgan’s second overseas signing for the Vitality T20 Blast while Gloucestershire have signed Australia one-Test swing bowler Chadd Sayers for a six-week county championship stint.
Mitch Marsh was not selected for Australia’s World Cup campaign after being dropped from all three forms at international level in the last 12 months due to a form slump and lost his Cricket Australia contract.
However, he has been selected for the Australia A tour of the UK which begins on June 15 and concludes on July 27. Marsh will only be available for Glamorgan after his Australia A commitments have concluded and if he does play in the Australia versus Australia A game prior to the Ashes on July 23 he will miss Glamorgan’s first four matches of the Blast.
“He comes with a huge reputation in T20 cricket, with plenty of international experience and has also played in the IPL and the Big Bash so he knows how to play T20 cricket on the big stage,” Glamorgan’s director of cricket Mark Wallace said.
“We were looking for a dual threat player, someone who can bowl with good pace and can bat in different positions in the order. He’s a very powerful striker of the ball and can either bat high up or lower down and give us some impetus in those middle overs as well so we’re delighted to have him on board.”
The Marsh brothers are two of a number of Australians set for the Blast. Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey recently signed with Sussex, while Billy Stanlake (Derbyshire), Adam Zampa (Essex), D’Arcy Short (Durham) and Ashton Agar (Birmingham) are also set to play.
Chadd Sayers is mobbed by his team-mates after picking up his first Test wicket © AFP
Meanwhile, Gloucestershire have signed Sayers as an overseas county championship replacement for injured South Australia teammate Daniel Worrell.
Sayers had an interrupted Australian domestic season due to an ongoing knee issue, after making his Test debut in Johannesburg in March 2018. He had long been seen as a possible Ashes candidate but his injury-interrupted season saw him miss out on Australia A selection for the tour of the UK.
Sayers replaces Worrall, who was sent home after suffering stress fractures in his lower back. Sayers will be with the Gloucestershire squad from June 11 to July 25 meaning he will be available for six division two championship matches, as well as two Vitality Blast matches.
Alex Malcolm is a freelance writer based in Melbourne
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo