Image Credit- CA
Australia all-rounder Aaron Hardie has joined with
Surrey for a two-month stint that includes three County Championship rounds and
the Vitality Blast group stage.
Hardie, who briefly played for Surrey in 2022, will
come at the Utilita Bowl ahead of the Championship match against Hampshire on
May 24. In addition, Surrey’s first Blast matchup against Hampshire is set for
May 30. The group stage will continue until late July, with a break for
back-to-back Championship matches against Worcestershire and Essex.
“It’s great to have Aaron back at the Kia Oval as
his character and all round skills in both red and white ball cricket will be
an excellent addition to our squad,” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of
cricket, said. “He already knows our dressing room from his time with us
in 2022 and I’m very confident he will show everyone why he is so highly
regarded in Australia.”
Hardie, 25, was the third-highest run scorer in the
just finished Big Bash League. He has received caps four times in ODIs and six
times in T20Is. Surrey will be hoping that he stays under the spotlight before
the T20 World Cup, which takes place in the Caribbean and USA in June, after he
was called up to cover Australia’s current T20I series against the West Indies.
Despite playing in just four games for Surrey in 2022,
Hardie was instrumental in the team’s Championship victory when he hit the
game-winning runs against Yorkshire following an 81-run stand that turned the
tide of the match in the fourth innings at Scarborough.
Hardie said: “I’m stoked to come back to Surrey
this summer. I loved my time at the Club in 2022 and got a real sense of what
it means to wear the Three Feathers. I’m ready to chip in and support the team
with bat or ball and do my bit in trying to bring more success to south
London.”