Steven Finn is the latest in a string of England players to benefit from a spell in New Zealand’s South Island, says All Out Cricket’s New Zealand correspondent James Henderson.
The home of cricket may always be Lords, but England’s assistance in world domination comes from a more obscure source. Cast away in New Zealand’s South Island is a safe haven for cricketers in need of some fine-tuning and match sharpness. Otago is a sanctuary of trust for the ECB – with Steven Finn the latest benefactor.
Finn’s arrival Down Under follows that of Jonathan Trott, Dimitri Mascarenhas and the recently crowned County Championship winner Kyle Hogg in recent years, demonstrating that first-class cricket in New Zealand has something to offer its Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
“Otago is trusted to provide a good service,” says Vaughn Johnson, Otago Volts coach and former specialist fast bowling coach for the Black Caps. “I think word gets around about our players, our culture and that Dunedin is a great place to get your head down and put the work in. It is a reasonably quiet place and many overseas players have done well here because of this environment – players enjoy playing here.
“The main aim of the deal is for Steven to play cricket and to get as many wickets as possible. Fortunately for Otago the time frame works well for both parties and we are looking forward to the new season with an experienced international fast bowler in our ranks.”
The Middlesex paceman will be available for a month of Plunket Shield action as he looks to gain match sharpness ahead of England’s upcoming series against Pakistan, with the contradicting seasons a major factor in the ECB looking below the equator to get their players game time in appropriate conditions.
“We are giving Steven valuable preparation time leading into his Test series, we have a good standard of first-class cricket in New Zealand and I am confident he will benefit immensely from it,” says Johnson. “During the early season in the South Island, the wickets can be seamer friendly but in the last couple of years they have been reasonably flat. From my own experience in terms of wickets in England, the conditions are similar with relatively similar decks which will suit Steven’s style of bowling.”
Finn will arrive in Dunedin fresh off a series of impressive performances in India, filling Johnson with confidence that he can pass on his skills with the ball to the current Otago attack. “From our point of view it is great to have a player of Steven’s calibre joining the ranks, it has helped the rest of the guys spark up, and they are all excited for his arrival. Obviously, some bowlers will be thinking their place in the team is under threat but you have to look at the bigger picture. If he is bowling at over 150kph as he was in India then he will be a great asset for the squad and be a fantastic example for our quicks.”
Despite being just 22 years of age, Finn already has 50 Test wickets to his name – he was the youngest ever Englishman to reach the mark – and continues to shine on the international scene, with Test-best figures of 6-125 during the Ashes victory last year giving Johnson reason to believe his experience will be invaluable to the Otago squad.
“We want him to help our bowlers, both tactically and physically, as well as talking to the team and sharing his opinions and ideas. His presence alone will also help the maturing of the young fast bowlers immensely. You only have to look at Steven to know he is a good player. He is six foot a million, he has big bounce, and he bowls a heavy ball. He gives good balance and pace upfront to be able to attack opposition teams.”
While Otago quicks such as Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner and James McMillan appear the main people to benefit, Johnson stressed Finn’s advice will benefit the Volts on every level. “Irrelevant of whether you are a bowler or not, we are all keen to learn everything about Steven’s game,” adds Johnson, who will be looking to kick-off his first season in charge with a victory against Canterbury on November 7.
“Whether that be him passing on the way he trains or his mental processes, we are eager to hear anything that will be beneficial for our players. We hope he will educate some of our guys on what it takes to be a top-class fast bowler and cricketer,” he added.
Finn will play 16 days of cricket over a month and Johnson is keen to squeeze as much knowledge out of him as possible, while hoping for four wins, great performances and plenty of wickets from his international fast bowler. It’s a deal the ECB have been happy to strike.
Finn Flies In For Kiwi Experience
Steven Finn is the latest in a string of England players to benefit from a spell in New Zealand’s South Island, says All Out Cricket’s New Zealand correspondent James Henderson.
The home of cricket may always be Lords, but England’s assistance in world domination comes from a more obscure source. Cast away in New Zealand’s South Island is a safe haven for cricketers in need of some fine-tuning and match sharpness. Otago is a sanctuary of trust for the ECB – with Steven Finn the latest benefactor.
Finn’s arrival Down Under follows that of Jonathan Trott, Dimitri Mascarenhas and the recently crowned County Championship winner Kyle Hogg in recent years, demonstrating that first-class cricket in New Zealand has something to offer its Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
“Otago is trusted to provide a good service,” says Vaughn Johnson, Otago Volts coach and former specialist fast bowling coach for the Black Caps. “I think word gets around about our players, our culture and that Dunedin is a great place to get your head down and put the work in. It is a reasonably quiet place and many overseas players have done well here because of this environment – players enjoy playing here.
“The main aim of the deal is for Steven to play cricket and to get as many wickets as possible. Fortunately for Otago the time frame works well for both parties and we are looking forward to the new season with an experienced international fast bowler in our ranks.”
The Middlesex paceman will be available for a month of Plunket Shield action as he looks to gain match sharpness ahead of England’s upcoming series against Pakistan, with the contradicting seasons a major factor in the ECB looking below the equator to get their players game time in appropriate conditions.
“We are giving Steven valuable preparation time leading into his Test series, we have a good standard of first-class cricket in New Zealand and I am confident he will benefit immensely from it,” says Johnson. “During the early season in the South Island, the wickets can be seamer friendly but in the last couple of years they have been reasonably flat. From my own experience in terms of wickets in England, the conditions are similar with relatively similar decks which will suit Steven’s style of bowling.”
Finn will arrive in Dunedin fresh off a series of impressive performances in India, filling Johnson with confidence that he can pass on his skills with the ball to the current Otago attack. “From our point of view it is great to have a player of Steven’s calibre joining the ranks, it has helped the rest of the guys spark up, and they are all excited for his arrival. Obviously, some bowlers will be thinking their place in the team is under threat but you have to look at the bigger picture. If he is bowling at over 150kph as he was in India then he will be a great asset for the squad and be a fantastic example for our quicks.”
Despite being just 22 years of age, Finn already has 50 Test wickets to his name – he was the youngest ever Englishman to reach the mark – and continues to shine on the international scene, with Test-best figures of 6-125 during the Ashes victory last year giving Johnson reason to believe his experience will be invaluable to the Otago squad.
“We want him to help our bowlers, both tactically and physically, as well as talking to the team and sharing his opinions and ideas. His presence alone will also help the maturing of the young fast bowlers immensely. You only have to look at Steven to know he is a good player. He is six foot a million, he has big bounce, and he bowls a heavy ball. He gives good balance and pace upfront to be able to attack opposition teams.”
While Otago quicks such as Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner and James McMillan appear the main people to benefit, Johnson stressed Finn’s advice will benefit the Volts on every level. “Irrelevant of whether you are a bowler or not, we are all keen to learn everything about Steven’s game,” adds Johnson, who will be looking to kick-off his first season in charge with a victory against Canterbury on November 7.
“Whether that be him passing on the way he trains or his mental processes, we are eager to hear anything that will be beneficial for our players. We hope he will educate some of our guys on what it takes to be a top-class fast bowler and cricketer,” he added.
Finn will play 16 days of cricket over a month and Johnson is keen to squeeze as much knowledge out of him as possible, while hoping for four wins, great performances and plenty of wickets from his international fast bowler. It’s a deal the ECB have been happy to strike.