Tom Bruce named as Lancashire's new overseas signing

After roping in legendary Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon as their first overseas signing, Lancashire have signed New Zealand batter Tom Bruce for the upcoming domestic season.

Bruce, 32, is expected to be available for all three formats for the entirety of the season, much like Lyon. The Te Kuiti-born represented New Zealand in 17 T20Is between 2017 and 2020. He scored 279 runs, at an average of 18.60 and a strike rate of 122.37, and also has a couple of half-centuries to his name.

He has an impressive record in first-class cricket. After playing 75 matches, Bruce has scored 5334 runs, at an average of 49.85, with a highest score of 208 not out. Bruce likes to play aggressively and his first-class strike rate of 65.91 accentuates the same. The right-handed batter has registered 10 centuries and 33 half-centuries in red-ball cricket. However, his modest List A average of 31.21 after playing 75 matches, doesn't do justice to his talent. He led New Zealand A to victory in two four-day games against Australia in September 2023.

Bruce could be a handy addition for Lancashire, who will be without the services of South African wicketkeeper-batter Dane Vilas for the first time in seven seasons. Mark Chilton, Lancashire's director of cricket performance, said that Bruce is likely to be available during the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup and that was taken into account before his signing.

"Tom will be available throughout the 2024 season, and this was a big draw for myself and Dale [Benkenstein] when going into the market for our overseas signings for this year. This will allow Tom to settle in, become part of the squad and create consistency and stability in our team selections throughout the summer," Chilton was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"Tom is a hugely experienced cricketer, and we feel that his skillset will be a good fit within our squad. He has had a hugely impressive few years with the bat in domestic cricket over in New Zealand - with an outstanding record in both the Plunkett Shield and Super Smash competitions as well as for New Zealand A and is very close to full international selection. With the ICC T20 World Cup taking place in June and July this year at the same time as the Vitality Blast, the availability of overseas options is at a premium. Therefore, Tom's quality, experience and full season availability makes him a strong addition to the squad," he added.

Chilton said that Bruce would strengthen the middle order in the County Championship and his hitting prowess will bode well for the team in white-ball tournaments.

"We believe that Tom will offer us a lot of options as he strengthens our middle order in the County Championship whilst his powerful hitting will give our batting line-up a new dimension towards the backend of an innings in the Vitality Blast and Metro Bank One Day Cup," Chilton stated.

Playing for a team like Lancashire is a dream come true: Tom Bruce

Bruce expressed his excitement at the prospect of spending a full season with Lancashire. He said that he had recently spoken to Chilton and head coach Dale Benkenstein and is confident of a good showing in the forthcoming season.

"This is a really exciting opportunity for me, and I can't wait to get over to England in a few months' time. To have the opportunity to spend a full county cricket season with a club like Lancashire is a dream come true and to have Emirates Old Trafford as my home ground was another massive draw for me once I heard about the interest. I feel that I have a lot to add to Lancashire and after speaking to Mark Chilton and Dale Benkenstein I am really excited about what we can achieve together with such a talented group of players in the 2024 season," Bruce said.

Lancashire finished mid-table in County Championship Division One in 2023. This was after they secured runner-up spots in the two previous editions. In the two white-ball tournaments, Lancashire lost in the quarterfinals. Glenn Chapple was subsequently replaced by Benkenstein as the head coach during the off-season. The latter was the head coach of Gloucestershire before making the switch.