Tasmanian top order batter Tim Ward is one of four local players to re-sign with the Hobart Hurricanes after a breakthrough Big Bash season that included 90 runs from 49 balls.
Ward, Marcus Bean and Iain Carlisle have each signed one-year extensions for BBL|16. All-rounder Will Prestwidge has committed for two seasons.
All four are also part of the Tasmanian Tigers program.
Ward is an established red-ball opener for Tasmania. He batted at the top of the order for the Hurricanes last summer and made 90 against the Sydney Thunder.
He said he was “pretty proud of becoming a bit of an all-format player”.
“I was pretty intimidated by the white ball stuff, probably even up to the last three years, where I felt like I didn’t have the skill set,” he said.
The left-hander said he went into his innings against the Thunder after a difficult first half of the match.
“I was pretty shattered, thought I lost the game for the team,” he said.
“So, I just went out there and thought, I can’t get any worse and just played my shots and things came off.”
Ward said he could bat “anywhere from one to six” this season. On re-signing, he said it was “always Hurricanes for me”.
Prestwidge, 24, played three games for the Hurricanes last season after joining from the Brisbane Heat. His new deal runs to the end of BBL|17.
“Looking back at last season, I didn’t really see myself fitting in anywhere, to be honest,” Prestwidge said.
He said the two-year contract was “exactly what I was looking for”.
“I wasn’t looking to go anywhere else,” he said.
The Hurricanes’ BBL|16 squad now has 16 players, including Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Shai Hope, Beau Webster and Adam Zampa.
