BBL 11: Sydney Thunder sign Sam Billings for upcoming season

Sydney Thunder has taken another big step in its march towards Big Bash League (BBL) glory with sought after English wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings agreeing to return to the Thunder Nation.

Sydney Thunder has taken another big step in its march towards Big Bash League (BBL) glory with sought after English wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings agreeing to return to the Thunder Nation. Billings played two seasons with the Sydney Sixers earlier in his career before making the switch across town to the Thunder last summer where he made a stunning impact behind the stumps and with the bat.

The 30-year-old, who captains his county side Kent CCC and the Oval Invincibles and has played for his country in both white-ball formats, scored 260 runs in 10 innings with a strike rate of 142, including a pair of half-centuries, punctuated by a knock of 83 from 48 balls against the Scorchers in Perth. The signing is Thunder's second international star in as many weeks, with fellow Englishman Alex Hales agreeing to terms a week ago. Like Hales, Billings said the balance of the squad and the talent of the young players on the roster was very appealing.

"I think the most exciting thing about coming back to the Thunder is the group of young players that complement the older, experienced heads," Billings said in an official release. "Hales is obviously a high-quality player and we have all seen what he can do. In my first experiences with Sydney Thunder last season there were obviously positive signs but we didn't finish where we wanted to, or could finish. There is no reason we can't take another step forward and go close to the title," he added.

Sydney Thunder BBL Squad Head Coach: Trevor Bayliss

Assistant Coach: Shawn Bradstreet, Chandika Hathurusinghe Contracted for BBL|11: Usman Khawaja (C), Sam Billings, Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain. (ANI)

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