Yorkshire sign towering Aussie Stanlake for T20 Blast campaign

The towering seamer, who has won two one-day international caps and made six T20 international appearances for his country, will be available for the majority of the group stage of the competition this summer

^{Billy Stanlake has signed for Yorkshire Vikings}

Yorkshire Vikings have signed Australia international Billy Stanlake for the T20 Blast.

The towering seamer, who has won two one-day international caps and made six T20 international appearances for his country, will be available for the majority of the group stage of the competition this summer.

Stanlake might miss the first two matches of the campaign if he is selected for Australia to face Zimbabwe but will then be selectable until the knockout rounds.

“We’re delighted to have Billy on board,” director of cricket Martyn Moxon told yorkshireccc.com.

“He’s someone I noticed when I went out to see Dizzy (Jason Gillespie) in the Big Bash. He’s a tall, fast-bowler with pace and is a wicket-taking option for us. Obviously since then he has progressed to being a full international T20 cricketer so we’re really excited about him joining up with us.

^{Stanlake is available for most of the T20 Blast group stage}

“The pace and bounce he gets really stood out for me and he’s a genuine wicket-taker which is just as important as keeping the runs down in one-day cricket.

“He’s something different for us and particularly with David Willey and Liam Plunkett not available for the first period of T20, assuming they’re playing for England, he’s a nice fit for us.”

Stanlake has experience in the two largest T20 leagues in the world - the Big Bash and the IPL.

He has been on the books of Adelaide Strikers and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“I’m really excited about heading over to England and representing Yorkshire Vikings in the domestic T20 competition,” said Stanlake.

BILLY STANLAKE T20 STATS

Economy rate: 7.2

Ave wickets per game: 1.1

Dot ball percentage: 43%

Match win percentage: 58.3%

“It’ll be a great experience and hopefully an exciting few weeks. It’s a huge club with great history and tradition and I’ve only heard positive things from the guys who have been there in the past.

“The club have some really experienced pros on their books, who I’ll be looking to learn from during my time over there, but it will also be interesting to see how some of the club’s talented youngsters go about their business too.

“For me it’s about building pressure and taking wickets, and hopefully that will go some way towards contributing to success for the team. I’m really enjoying my cricket at the moment, the body feels in a good place too and hopefully I enjoy a productive spell with the Vikings in July.”