Max Bryant hoping for a chance to open the batting for Brisbane Heat

Max Bryant will relish a chance to have “some fun” at the top of the Brisbane Heat batting order with Kiwi import Colin Munro in this season’s BBL competition.

With the big-hitting Josh Brown having defected to the Melbourne Renegades, there’s an opening batsman vacancy next to Munro at the Heat that Bryant has an eye on.

“If I get the opportunity up the top, me and Colin are pretty good mates, and to have some fun up the top would be pretty awesome,” said Bryant, who has signed a new two-year deal with the defending BBL champions.

“I didn’t get too much game time last year, but I’m very excited to sign again and hopefully get some more opportunities.”

That lack of action last season had 25-year-old Bryant considering for a “brief minute” about leaving Brisbane.

However, he said the Heat’s “family” environment made him quickly realise that wanted to extend a Brisbane career that started when he was a teenager.

“I was keen to stay on with the boys,” said Bryant, whose 1258 runs make him the club’s third-highest scorer in history behind Chris Lynn (3005) and Jimmy Peirson (1689).

“Whatever the team needs me to do, if it’s up the top or batting at five like I did last year … I’m willing to do,”

“The last two years I’ve been out of the team because we’ve been winning, but hopefully just being in that team and winning games with the Heat, that’s my aim for the next two years.

“Winning the title last season after going so close the summer before is the highlight of my career to date. There’s a lot of opportunities ahead for us as a club and I’m keen to make the most of them.”

New Heat coach Johan Botha said the retention of Bryant was an “important element” in the club’s planning.

“Anyone who has followed Max’s career, even casually, knows that he has the skills and application to turn a game,’’ Botha said.

“He is maturing into a very important player for the Heat. (He is) highly versatile with his batting as required by the team’s plans, a great strike rate against spin, a boundary-hitter against pace and a very effective part of our fielding armoury.

“He’s having an excellent pre-season with Queensland and we’re all looking forward to the summer.”

The Heat, who announced on Tuesday a two-year major sponsorship with Poolwerx, start their new BBL season on December 18 against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG.

Brisbane Heat squad (to date): Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, James Pierson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson.