Explosive Kiwi batter Finn Allen signs for Ageas Bowl-based Southern Brave ahead of their Hundred title defence

The 23-year-old opener, who boasts one of the highest strike rates in T20 cricket, joins skipper James Vince, Quinton De Kock, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Joe Weatherley and Ross Whiteley in providing potential top order fireworks.

Allen is one of the tournament’s new ‘wild card’ signings, with teams being granted a fourth overseas slot in their squads during the second season of the tournament.

Even by T20 standards, Allen is no slouch - witness his international strike rate of 190.24 in six matches for New Zealand. Across all T20 cricket, his strike rate is 176.36 from 53 innings and 1,582 runs.

Allen played for Birmingham Phoenix in the inaugural Hundred edition last summer, scoring 165 runs at 20.62 with a strike rate of 150.00.

In his first taste of English county cricket, Allen had scored 399 runs for Lancashire in last year’s Vitality Blast T20 tournament.

This year, he has played twice for Yorkshire - hitting 29 off 12 balls - with three sixes - against Durham and 16 off 10 balls against Nottinghamshire.

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Allen’s highest T20 score is an unbeaten 92 off 43 balls for Wellington against Otogo in the New Zealand Super Smash in January 21 - an innings containing eight sixes and five fours.

Elsewhere in the Hundred, London Spirit have signed Australian opening batter Ben McDermott.

McDermott is currently playing for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast and earlier in the week slapped nine sixes in racing to 83 in the win against Middlesex at Radlett.

In the women’s Hundred, The Ageas Bowl-based Southern Brave have signed Australian spinner Molly Strano, the leading wicket-taker in Women’s Big Bash League history.

The new arrivals will be paid £50,000 in the men’s draw, with the female equivalents earning £15,000.

The window for the women’s sides to sign players remains open with teams having until June 30 to complete their squads. The men’s squads will be completed with the domestic Vitality Wildcard draft on 7 July.

The Hundred starts on August 3, with defending champions Brave hosting Welsh Fire at The Ageas Bowl.

Brave women’s opening game is at the same ground against London Spirit on August 12.