Cricket: Gloucestershire sign Australian international Christian for T20 (From Gazette Series)

Gloucestershire sign Australian all-rounder Dan Christian for Friends Life T20

11:10am Thursday 14th March 2013 in Yate and Sodbury Sport By Rob Iles

DIRECTOR of cricket John Bracewell says he is delighted to have captured Australian international Dan Christian as Gloucestershire’s overseas player for T20 this summer.

The 29-year-old all-rounder will be available for the entire Friends Life t20 competition to boost Gloucestershire, who reached the FLt20 quarter-finals last season.

He has represented Australia 11 times in T20 cricket and has played in 17 one-day internationals, taking a hat-trick against Sri Lanka on 2 March last year.

Christian has also won the domestic T20 competition in England with Hampshire in 2010 and in January he helped Brisbane Heat win Australia's T20 tournament, The Big Bash, scoring 37 off 21 balls in the final against Perth Scorchers.

He was signed for a whopping $900,000 by Deccan Chargers in the 2011 Indian Premier League auction and is due to play in the prestigious competition for Royal Challengers Bangalore this year.

Christian is a fast-medium bowler and is regarded as a big-hitting batsman.

Bracewell, said: "I couldn't be more pleased about signing Dan. He is a power-hitter and a vicious competitor, as is the nature of the new breed of top T20 players, who want to win every ball.

"Dan will bat in our top four and can bowl in the middle of an innings and at the death. “He is a hugely exciting recruit and he is well known to our new skipper Michael Klinger as both play for South Australia."

Sydney-born Christian averages just under 21 with the bat in 100 T20 appearances, with a top score of 75 not out, and has taken 94 wickets with his fast-medium bowling at an average of 25.43, with a best of 5-26.

He made his Australia T20 debut against the West Indies in 2010 and played in the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last year.

Christian said: "I am excited to be joining Gloucestershire for the Friends Life t20 campaign.

“Having played in 2010 for Hampshire, I have already had a taste of county cricket and I am really looking forward to playing in England again.

"I have two months in India for the IPL prior to joining the club which will be great preparation ahead of the English T20.

“I look forward to joining John Bracewell, Michael Klinger and the rest of the boys in June and pulling on a Gloucestershire shirt for the first time."

Christian is of Aboriginal heritage and captained Australia’s national indigenous development squad during a tour to England in 2009.