The fast bowler Brendan Drew has joined the Melbourne Renegades for this season's Big Bash League. Drew, 28, played with the Adelaide Strikers last summer and has also been a regular player for Tasmania, although he lost his state contract at the end of 2011-12.

"Brendan is a handy T20 bowler and he proved as much with the Strikers last season. He's certainly been a consistent performer in the shortest form of the game at the domestic level," Simon Helmot, the Renegades coach, said. "He's also shown he can handle the willow and has a T20 strike rate of 128 from his 19 games for the Strikers and Tasmania."

The Renegades have now secured 15 players for this season, and they need a further three to complete their list by the end of November.