Scorchers lock in Agar but Gades eye off Behrendorff
The Perth Scorchers have fended off interest from the Melbourne Renegades to re-sign Ashton Agar for the next three BBL seasons, but the futures of Jason Behrendorff and AJ Tye remain up in the air.
Agar, a star performer in the white-ball arena at both domestic and international level, was being heavily chased by the Renegades.
The 31-year-old would have been a free agent had he not signed by Sunday night, but he is now locked away with the Scorchers for the next three years.
Each club was only allowed to contract a maximum of 10 players before the free agency period began – and the Scorchers have now reached their limit.
The Renegades are in the box seat to poach Behrendorff, while Tye’s future remains unclear after losing his spot in the Scorchers’ preferred XI late this season.
Behrendorff has taken a league-high 17 wickets this season and is widely regarded as one of the BBL’s greatest pace bowlers.
Agar, who has taken 69 wickets across 94 appearances with the Scorchers, was thrilled to re-sign.
“Perth is my home. I moved here from Melbourne when I was 18 and I’ve never looked back,” Agar said.
“To be at the Scorchers for another three years means the world to me.
“It means I’m all in at one club and I’m playing with my best mates, in front of the greatest fans in Australia. It’s huge.”
Among the 10 players Perth have managed to lock away is 19-year-old pace bowler Mahli Beardman, who appears destined for future stardom.
Beardman already clocks more than 140km/h, and his 3-17 against the Strikers in just his second BBL match showcased what a weapon he can be.
He now has his sights set on cracking the 150km/h mark.
“I hope so,” said Beardman, who was called up as a standby player for Australia’s ODI tour of England earlier this year.
“I’m only a small frame still. So hopefully with a couple of pre-seasons in the gym … hopefully that can get up towards that 150 mark.
“The last sort of 12 months have been incredible for me. So I’m just trying to ride that momentum and keep building into the back end of this season.”
Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly finished his BBL campaign on the highest of highs, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 21 balls to lead the Scorchers to a five-wicket victory over Adelaide on Saturday night.
Connolly will now link up with the Test team ahead of the two-match tour of Sri Lanka.
The 21-year-old, who has played just four first-class games, wasn’t initially expected to earn a call-up into the Test XI in Sri Lanka.
But a serious thumb injury to spinner Matthew Kuhnemann means Connolly is now well and truly in the mix to debut.
“If the opportunity arises for me to make my debut, I’ll try to take the most of it,” Connolly said.
“But I think it’s just about going over there and learning what it’s like, playing those subcontinent conditions and just enjoying the boys around me and the coaching staff.”
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