Finn Allen signs two-year contract with Perth Scorchers

New Zealand cricketer Finn Allen has opted to join the Perth Scorchers on a two-year contract, turning down a national central contract in the process.

It was announced earlier this week that Allen had become the latest New Zealand player to opt out of a contract to open up franchise opportunities, and ESPNcricinfo understands the Scorchers move will be confirmed in the coming days.

Scorchers were one of only three BBL clubs - alongside Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers - who had yet to announce a pre-draft signing under the new mechanism that allows multi-year deals, even as West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been linked to Sixers.

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Allen had originally been included in the NZC contract list announced last month, and it's understood the Scorchers interest only came recently. It means he won't be available for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka which starts in late December.

Allen's T20 strike rate of 168.60 is the second highest for any batter with at least 3000 runs in the format, behind only Andre Russell. At the international level, Allen has scored two T20I centuries, while he also made a significant impact against Australia at the 2022 T20 World Cup, when he flayed 42 off 16 balls against Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to set the tone for New Zealand's huge victory. But Allen had a lean T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA earlier this year, with just 35 runs in four innings.

He will be the third New Zealand player confirmed for the BBL, after Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) and Tim Seifert (Melbourne Renegades). Seifert turned down a domestic contract with Northern Districts, while Munro officially retired from international cricket earlier this year after missing the T20 World Cup squad.

Scorchers struggled to fill the opening role vacated by Cameron Bancroft's move to Sydney Thunder last season. England's Zak Crawley made two half-centuries in six innings, but there were slim pickings for the others used, including an unsuccessful move of promoting Cooper Connolly.

Signing Allen ahead of the draft means it is uncertain if Scorchers will bring Laurie Evans back after he was outstanding last season, with 292 runs at 58.40 and a strike rate of 189.61, before leaving for the ILT20. It's understood Scorchers did explore the possibility of Evans being the pre-draft signing, but availability was an issue with him having an ongoing deal in the UAE with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Scorchers could still take Evans in the draft - and would have retention rights for him - but he is expected to be limited to around seven matches. The ILT20 has advanced next year due to the Champions Trophy taking place in February. It means a much greater overlap with the BBL, while the SA20 is also taking place at the same time.

The BBL draft will be held on September 1, and Scorchers have picks 7, 15, 18 and 31.