Wellington Firebirds Contracts Announced for 2016-17 Season

Cricket Wellington has released its list of 14 contracted players for the 2016-17 season.

The contracted Wellington Firebirds players are (in alphabetical order by surname):

Brent Arnel
Hamish Bennett
Tom Blundell
Fraser Colson
Matt McEwan
Iain McPeake
Stephen Murdoch
Ollie Newton
Michael Papps
Jeetan Patel
Michael Pollard
Matt Taylor
Anurag Verma
Luke Woodcock

The contracting process for domestic players involves two rounds, with each Major Association team to contract a total of 15 players overall. Wellington has offered 14 contracts in this first round, with the final contract to be offered on 12 July.

Head Coach Bruce Edgar said the squad has a balanced look to it, with a blend of key experienced players and developing talent.

“We are very pleased to have signed Hamish Bennett. He will take the new ball in all three formats and add real punch to the bowling attack. He will be well supported by a growing bowling group that is developing quickly. Hamish is very motivated and looking to push for Black Caps selection”

I am excited for Iain McPeake and Fraser Colson who have earnt contracts after stepping up during the Plunket Shield last season. Both players have also performed well at Dempster Shield and Provincial A level in recent seasons.

Excluded from this list is Luke Ronchi, whom is contracted to NZ Cricket, but who will play for the Wellington Firebirds as BLACKCAPS commitments allow. Also not contracted directly is Grant Elliott, although he is in discussions with CW with a view to playing the Twenty20 campaign for the Firebirds.

Former BLACKCAPS batsman Hamish Marshall has been linked to the Wellington Firebirds next season, but does not feature on the contract list. Director of Cricket Robbie Kerr said that Marshall intends to relocate to Wellington once his county cricket stint with Gloucestershire has ended, and CW looks forward to further discussions with Hamish further down the track.

Director of Cricket Robbie Kerr congratulated those players who have been offered contracts. “We went through a very thorough selection process to arrive at these 14 players” he said. “It is exciting news for these cricketers and I am sure they will embrace this opportunity and represent Wellington with pride.”

ENDS

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