Colin Munro: Notts sign New Zealand batter for T20 Blast to replace Dan Christian

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Colin Munro hit 278 runs in eight matches for the Brisbane Heat in this season's Big Bash in Australia

Nottinghamshire have signed New Zealand batter Colin Munro to replace Dan Christian in this summer's T20 Blast.

Australian Christian, 39, announced his intention to retire when this year's Big Bash competition ends in February.

Ex-Worcestershire and Hampshire player Munro, 35, is one of T20 cricket's leading run-scorers in its 20-year history.

"Dan brought to us experience, quality and a dynamic style of play," said Notts coach Peter Moores.

"I see Colin in the same bracket. He's got his game sorted. He's played T20 cricket all around the world.

"He will complement Alex Hales at the top of the order. We're conscious that Ben Duckett has done really well for England and there's more than a fair chance that we'll miss him for parts of the summer. That's one of the reasons we wanted to bring Colin in, to make sure we have that wealth of experience."

South Africa-born Munro has twice won domestic T20 titles in New Zealand, in 2011 and 2012 with Auckland, where he grew up. And he also twice won the Caribbean Premier League with Trinidad Knight Riders in 2017 and 2018.

He then helped Perth Scorchers beat Christian's Sydney Sixers to win the Big Bash in 2022, followed up by helping Nottingham-based Trent Rockets to win the second Men's Hundred final at Lord's last summer.

"Trent Bridge is a great place to call home," said Munro. "I've witnessed first-hand how much the crowd get behind the team with the Rockets last summer."

Munro has now played 365 T20 matches worldwide, hitting 9,195 runs to become the 12th highest run-scorer in the 20 years since the format took off.

His total of three T20 international centuries is beaten only by India's Rohit Sharma.

This will be his fifth stint in T20 cricket in England after three summers with Worcestershire in 2014, 2015 and 2022 and a year with Hampshire in 2018.

Notts' other T20 overseas player in 2023 is South African pace bowler Dane Paterson, who has made 11 T20 appearances since first joining the county in 2021 - and is signed across all formats.

Christian announced during last season's T20 Blast that it would be his last for Notts, with whom he twice lifted the trophy as skipper, in 2017 and 2020.