Heat bolster pace stocks with two signings

Brisbane Heat have signed pace pair Will Prestwidge and Spencer Johnson on two-year deals as they look to boost their pace-bowling group ahead of KFC BBL|12.

South Australian left-armer Johnson and Norths quick Prestwidge were today confirmed as the final two full contracted positions for the Heat this season, providing the Usman Khawaja-led outfit with additional squad balance following their drafting of three batsmen in the recent BBL International Player Draft.

Additionally, big-hitting Norths opener Josh Brown has verbally committed to the Heat about taking up a Local Replacement Player contract following his standout showing in the recent KFC T20 Max competition.

Both Johnson and Prestwidge pushed their BBL claims during the inaugural KFC T20 Max series, which featured interstate and international players linking with Queensland Premier Cricket clubs for the three-week competition.

Johnson, 26, was a member of the Adelaide Strikers squad in 2020-21 without playing a match and is currently a member of the South Australian Redbacks squad.

Brisbane Heat head coach Wade Seccombe said Prestwidge and Johnson provided additional depth for the squad and had agreed to two-year deals.

"Spencer is a promising left-arm pace bowler who has been on the fringes of the BBL for the past few seasons, but the decision he made to come to Queensland and play in the KFC T20 Max competition has been well vindicated," Seccombe said.

"He had the best economy rate (5.0) of any of the pace bowlers during the competition and as a left-armer provides additional variety in our bowling depth. I know the Redlands players in the Bulls and Heat squads who played with him like Marnus (Labuschagne) rated his skills, and execution of them, very highly.

"Likewise, everyone who faced Will Prestwidge in his games for Norths noted he was the quickest bowler the batsmen dealt with during the series. There was some interest in him from other BBL clubs, and we like what he showed last season as a COVID replacement for the Heat, so we are keen to develop him further."

Prestwidge, 20, is the younger brother of former Heat players Jack and Georgia and became the third member of his family to play in the W/BBL when he turned out for three games last summer.

Following the BBL, he made his Marsh One Day Cup debut for the Bulls.

Seccombe also confirmed the club had negotiated with Norths batsman Josh Brown after the power-hitting opener dominated the T20 Max.

"Josh was the standout with the bat and we've had some good discussions with him about our plans going forward," he said. "We've agreed that he will be one of our local replacement players for the first half of the tournament when we expect to have Marnus and Usman Khawaja on national duties, and then will look to keep him with the group as a replacement for one of the two international batsmen (Sam Billings and Colin Munro) when they finish up their BBL commitments.

"We're looking at some other playing opportunities for Josh as well as we prepare for the tournament, and he has been training with the Bulls for the past few weeks."

Both Brown and Johnson were named in the KFC T20 Max Team of the Tournament as chosen by the Heat coaching staff of Seccombe, Darren Lehmann and Andy Bichel and QC Selectors Chris Hartley and Ryan Harris.

Brown, 28, was the leading runs-scorer with 447 runs at an average of 55.88, including a strike rate of 212 and a competition high 41 sixes. It continues a striking run of form in the T20 game at Premier Cricket level where he has topped the run-scoring lists in recent seasons.

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