Nathan McAndrew In Focus

Nathan McAndrew was born in Wollongong, New South Wales on July 14, 1993.

He has played 11 First Class games, for South Australia in Australian domestic cricket and for Auckland in New Zealand. He has also played 41 T20s for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash for whom he has been a regular in the last three seasons.

Nathan came through the youth system at his native New South Wales but did not make the breakthrough into first team cricket there where the competition for places is the most intense at any club in Australia. He was more a batter in his early career but his right arm seam bowling has also become a potent weapon as his career has developed.

Nathan made his First Class debut for Auckland against Canterbury at Christchurch in 2016, fellow future Bears all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme was among his team-mates. He scored 65 in his maiden First Class innings and took three wickets in the match to help his side to a five-wicket win.

His only previous cricket in England arrived in 2012 when he played 15 games for Hornchurch in the Shepherd Neame Essex Cricket League. His best with the bat was 137 (from 137 balls) against Harlow and, with the ball, four for 55 against Upminster.

Nathan has been highly recommended to the Bears by good judges including Matt Mason (newly appointed Bowling Coach at Edgbaston), Jason Gillespie and Trevor Bayliss. Gillespie and Bayliss have worked with Nathan as coaches as South Australia and Sydney Thunder respectively,

He will arrive on the back of an excellent winter with South Australia for whom he has taken 27 wickets in the Sheffield Shield, the second-top wicket-haul in the competition.

14 of his wickets were players batting in the top four, showing his impact as a first-change bowler, while he is also something of a workhorse, bowling nearly 60 overs more than his nearest teammate.

“He is a really good addition to our seam attack,” said Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace. “He bowls a heavy length, has good pace and will keep going.

“He loves hard work and is a great team man. He can also score useful runs and will be great for us in red-ball cricket and also in the Blast as a third overseas player alongside Carlos Brathwaite and Paul Stirling. We can only play two overseas players in the Blast but can register three so it is handy to have another option.”