BBL: England's Lewis Gregory joins Brisbane Heat

Brisbane [Australia], November 2 (ANI): Brisbane Heat on Monday announced the signing of English all-rounder Lewis Gregory for the upcoming season of Big Bash League (BBL).
"The Brisbane Heat will welcome leading English allrounder Lewis Gregory to the club for the first time this summer after securing his signature for the Big Bash League," the club said in a statement.
Gregory will be the club's third international signing following the recent decision by Cricket Australia to allow an additional overseas player to be recruited by each club for the forthcoming season of BBL.
The right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium pace bowler captains Somerset in the Vitality Blast T20 competition in England, where Heat batsman Tom Banton is a teammate. It will be Gregory's first stint in the BBL while he has previously played in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League.
Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann is happy with the addition of Gregory into the squad.
"He was quite sought after so we're very pleased he is coming to us. I know 'Bants' (Tom Banton) rates him very highly as a leader, a player and as a person, and I only heard good things about him from the UK when I was involved with the preparations for The Hundred competition where he was lined up to skipper the Trent Rockets team," Lehmann said in a statement.
"He has built a very respectable reputation as a finisher with the bat for Somerset in the Vitality Blast T20 competition, and he is skillful with the ball as well as having good pace. It's great adding another experienced performer into the group. He's performed quite well in the overseas T20 leagues he has played in and had a good taste of Australian conditions last season as captain of the English Lions team that was out here on tour," he added.
Gregory said he is delighted to have the opportunity to experience the BBL for the first time.
"We certainly kept a close eye on Tom's performances for the Heat last season and so I'm rapt to have the chance to experience a world-class tournament like the BBL at first hand," he said.
"I've enjoyed the challenge of adapting to conditions when I played in the BPL and PSL and got some good insights into Australian conditions during the Lions tour so I'm certainly excited to be heading to the Heat," Gregory added. (ANI)