QUEANBEYAN captain Blake Dean is one step closer to fulfilling his Big Bash League dream after earning a supplementary contract with the Sydney Thunder.
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Dean impressed in a pre-season trial game for the ACT Comets against the Thunder earlier this year, scoring a half century and taking a couple of wickets.
The 26-year-old was also selected in a trial game last month featuring the best players from the Sydney grade competition.
Dean’s older brother Jono is currently on the books at rival Big Bash League side the Adelaide Strikers after both were on supplementary contracts with the Melbourne Renegades last season.
“Last year with the Renegades Jono and I were on the supplementary list but didn’t really have any involvement with the side at all,” Blake Dean said.
“This year, I think with the Thunder having a few players away they want all the contracted guys fully involved.
“It’s definitely exciting, I’ve never been involved in a program like [the Thunder] before,” he said. “With the contract I’m on, it’s just like being part of the squad I’m just not getting paid.
“But it’s a high quality side and just the experience of being around those kind of players is going to be pretty valuable.”
Dean’s training commitments with the Thunder will begin on December 12 with the squad to play a handful of trial games before the season gets underway later this month.
Coincidently, Dean will take to the field for the ACT Comets against the Thunder in one of those trial matches on December 19.
While a call-up to this year’s Big Bash competition looks unlikely at this stage for the hard-hitting all-rounder, Dean need look only to his older brother’s example for inspiration.
Jono Dean spent two years on supplementary lists with the Perth Scorchers and the Renegades before a break out performance for the Prime Minister’s XI against the West Indies thrust the 29-year-old into the spotlight.
“I think Jono’s PM’s XI gig had a fair bit to do with him getting picked up but he’s shown if you keep striving, you never know what opportunities might come up,” Blake said.
“Hopefully I can show a bit in the trials and then you never know.”
Dean confirmed his commitments with the Thunder will not affect his availability for Queanbeyan in the ACT grade competition.
