Sydney [Australia], Aug 26 (ANI): Sydney Thunder on Wednesday announced the signing of 18-year-old Anika Learoyd to a two-year deal ahead of the upcoming Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) season.

The right-handed batter, who also bowls leg-spin, has scored 541 runs at an average of 54.1 in the 2019/20 New South Wales (NSW) Women's Premier Cricket competition across the one-day and T20 formats.

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"Getting a WBBL contract is a goal that I have been working towards for a couple of years now so it is exciting to see that hard work paying off," Learoyd said in an official statement.

"It was a great experience to be invited along to a couple of Thunder training sessions last season and I am really looking forward to being part of it this season," she added.

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Learoyd also played a major role in the success of the ACT/NSW Country team at the Under 18 National Championships. She finished as the leading run-scorer with 384 runs at an average of 42.7.

"Anika has performed really well through Cricket NSW pathway programs and this is a great opportunity for her to step up and showcase her abilities on a bigger stage," said Trevor Griffin, Head Coach of Sydney Thunder.

The WBBL is slated to be played from October 17-November 29. Sydney Thunder will lock horns with Perth Scorchers in their opening match of the tournament on October 17. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)