CANES CHASE IMPORTS

THE Hobart Hurricanes are homing in on their two imports as negotiations near completion with left-arm quick Tymal Mills and all-rounder Tom Curran.

Cricket Tasmania confirmed talks with the duo but said neither had yet signed.

The English pair meets the Hurricanes’ desires identified previously of a bowler able to take wickets in the powerplay and one able to do a job at the end of an innings.

However, Curran is now in England’s Twenty20 team so his availability for the entire Big Bash League could be limited and he also needs the tick of approval from the English Cricket Board to sign with the Hurricanes.

Mills is a T20 specialist, but can bowl at 150km/h at his peak and went for a whopping $2.25 million at this year’s IPL auction to the Royal Chargers Bangalore.

The 25-year-old has battled back injuries that curtailed his longer-form cricket but has represented England, Auckland, Chittagong and Quetta on the T20 circuit, as well as a brief two-match stint with the Brisbane Heat in last season’s BBL.

In 67 domestic T20 games, he has taken 77 wickets at an average of 22.5 and an economy rate of 7.5 runs an over.

Curran, 22, is coached by former Tasmanian top-order batsman Michael Di Venuto at Surrey and has played three T20 internationals, including the last match against the West Indies.

Curran let slip in a recent interview with Cricinfo he would be heading to Australia in the English winter to play in the Big Bash with Hobart.

“It’s a very exciting winter, and obviously depending on what happens with [England’s] white-ball squads,” he said.

“Whether people like it or not, this is where a big part of the game is going. Test cricket for the players is still the ultimate, but these tournaments you can’t hide from them. They are taking off, they are getting massive.

“I’ve only played two T20s and now I could be taking off to South Africa to be in one of the big T20 tournaments, and then the Big Bash, which is the biggest.”

Curran has played 48 domestic T20 games, taking 52 runs at 25.9 and an economy of 8.1, and made 356 runs at 19.8 and a strike rate of 127. THE Tasmanian Roar has announced Brooke Hepburn will captain the side this season with Corinne Hall as her vicecaptain. Hepburn replaces Veronica Pyke, who has been the Roar’s only captain since the team’s inception in 2009.