BBL: Cricket great who inspired Sydney Thunder’s Nathan McAndrew

He’s the cricketer studying engineering as a future career but hoping to build a big future in the game with top performances in this season’s BBL.

Nathan McAndrew celebrates after claiming the wicket of Heat’s Tom Cooper.

When Nathan McAndrew was growing up south of Wollongong he could see what he wanted to be - right there on his TV screen and on the back pages of newspapers.

Hailing from Shellharbour, McAndrew saw how local cricketer Brett Lee become a star of the game and it inspired him.

Lee, like McAndrew, had played their early cricket for the Oak Flats Rats before going on to bigger and better things.

Nathan McAndrew in action against Brisbane Heat at Manuka Oval last week.

“Brett had a big impact on me growing up in a relatively small area, when you have someone from there who when I was growing up was playing for Australia and one of the most dominant bowlers in the world,’’ said the Sydney Thunder bowler who now plays for Bankstown in Premier Cricket.

“He was a huge inspiration for me to work on my bowling.

“He’s been a big impact in me, just believing someone from that area can go on to bigger and better things in the game.”

Former Australian cricket great Brett Lee and Pat Cummins at the SCG.

McAndrew snared his first NSW contract in 2020 and while working to finish his engineering degree, he is hoping he can build on his cricket in the immediate future.

“I’ve got five subjects left to do, I’m passing through it gradually, hoping I won’t need that degree for a little bit yet,” he said

“Hopefully I can continue to play cricket at this level for as long as possible.’’

MORE SPORT

From shy soccer kid to AFL draftee while still in his teens

How lessons learned in backyard helped this cricketer

Covid throws Nutri-Grain series into chaos

A-League drama for northern beaches players