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May 5, 2009Posted by Iain O'Brien on 05/05/2009 in County Cricket 2009
Joining the lads at Leicestershire
Well, it’s cold here right now. I’m at home in England, on the couch about to pack and drive to Bristol for the start of tomorrow’s Championship match vs Gloucestershire. I’ve been over here for two weeks now after a few extra days back in New Zealand waiting on my passport to come back with a visa entry stamp in it to come and play for Leicestershire.
I must, again, thank the good guys at Post Haste for helping me out a whole heap. My passport had to go to Canberra, Australia, to get the visa. I knew that as soon as it came back into NZ on its way back to me the ‘track and trace’ number that I could watch online would be activated. So as soon as it landed and was in the Post Haste system, I was on to them to get it to me ASAP. The last week I was back in NZ I was never far from a computer so that I could check to see if it had got back to Auckland on its way back to me in Wellington. I had also been changing my flights, almost every day, hoping the passport would turn up. So, at 3.45pm, a couple of Tuesdays ago, I saw, online, my passport had reached Auckland. If I was to get out that day I would need to:
a) somehow pick it up in Auckland as it wasn’t going to make it to Wellington in time
b) change my flight and hope that there was a seat available.
So that was one nervous, stressful and in the end a successful afternoon. Flights changed, that was the easy bit. Picking up the passport that was going to take some magic, and somehow the planets aligned and it worked out! Again, Post Haste, Jimmy Sales, Phil and the others who helped out, an massive thank you from me and of course my wife.
So, I’m here now and have played three one day matches and one Championship match for Leicestershire. The schedule is pretty tight and time off between games isn’t as much as we would get at home in our domestic season.
We haven’t had a great start to the season with our first win only coming yesterday against Ireland in the Friends Provident Trophy. So far I haven’t really succeeded as I would have hoped to in the competition. I had two weeks off in NZ before getting here and really enjoyed doing very little and letting the body have its rest. I am a bowler who bowls best when I’ve been bowling and bowling. So I was in a catch 22 situation. I needed the rest but I also needed to keep bowling to hit the ground running here. I was hopeful that I could get into the groove over here after a couple of training sessions and find my form quickly. I haven’t, unfortunately, and last week’s Championship match at Southgate vs Middlesex was not my best showing, at all.
Yesterday was better, the action is almost back to where it should be, and the adjustment of lengths to bowl on slower and lower pitches has been the tougher part. Coming from a Test series on some good Test pitches to county cricket early in the season on low and slow decks has been a little frustrating. But I have to get on and do my job, learn, adjust and get some wickets for the team.
So far the weather has been pretty good; although, as I said, it’s rather cold and wet today. The decision to take the IPL to South Africa looks to be a good one, apart from the early few games that were rain affected and the weather here, in the UK, was outstanding. I’ve been trying to keep up with the results and how the NZ boys have been going, but as I don’t have the channel they are being shown on, I don’t get to watch much of the footage. So it’s Cricinfo for the match reports and live scorecards. It’s a tight competition and some upsets have been played out right the way through. I’m looking forward to catching up with the guys once they get over here for the Twenty20 World Cup to hear how this one has been.
Right then, time to pack the bags, pick up a couple of lads and get on the road to Bristol. I’ll be back in a couple of days with another update.
And so that you’re in the loop... look out for iainobrien.co.nz very soon, and get in touch if you want to get your company’s logo and link on the page.
Posted by: Luke at May 5, 2009 6:44 PM
Hi Iain. Saw you bowl in the first Hampshire game and thought you settled in nicely. Really hope you and AJ Harris can take some big wickets for us. Good luck down at Bristol.
Posted by: Aravind at May 5, 2009 8:41 PM
Good for you. Playing in English conditions will come in handy when the World T20 starts next month. Hope you are in the NZ squad.
Posted by: vinod at May 5, 2009 8:44 PM
Hey Obber....Good luck inthe county games....hope u knock some poles over, and run into some decent form ahead of the T20 world Cup....Cheers from a (kiw)Indian Aucklander...
Posted by: Vidya at May 5, 2009 8:53 PM
Iain,
Great reading your blogs. Wish you had played in the IPL too. Better luck next season.
Cheers.
Posted by: Vivek at May 5, 2009 9:13 PM
Hello Ian,
Good to see you back to the blogging days. Though not so spiced up as was when you were writing when India toured NZ, its decent. By-the-way, there is a steep decline in the comments, may be you know the reason :-) .
Anyways, good luck with your bowling in UK and keep blogging.
Vivek
Posted by: Blake at May 6, 2009 1:21 AM
Your team-mates aren't doing too well in the IPL... I bet McCullum would love to be playing in little old Bristol instead.
Posted by: Saptarshi at May 6, 2009 4:10 AM
yes waiting for a visa sometimes can indeed be frustrating. Good to see that all went smoothly. Wish u all the best for the season. Your success would help more aspiring fast bowlers from NZ to gain valuable experience and prevent injuries.
Posted by: sibs (Sibashish Mohapatro) at May 6, 2009 8:57 AM
how is it going iian? glad that the Visa came through.
how come you did not opt for the IPL?
Would you be playing in the T20 WC in England?
And now that you are in Bristol, try the different curry houses :) I dont know if they have Akbars in Bristol (Its there in Leeds and another amazing round of food with crispy 1 meter long naan)
Sibs - Amsterdam
Posted by: shiva at May 6, 2009 10:15 AM
Why are all the kiwis failing miserably at the IPL-2? Any thoughts Iain?
Posted by: Sunil at May 6, 2009 11:41 AM
In a way I gues you;re happy you;re not in South Africa as most bowlers are getting clobbered (A few notable worthies have managed to escape)More interestingly,with Shane Bond likely to return is the thought of a decent opening bowling attack in your mind?I wish you a successful county stint
Posted by: Atul Bhogle at May 6, 2009 12:32 PM
I knew Cricketers dont have as much clout in NZ as they do in India, but tracking a passport on the net is something a India test player would NEVER have to do. The embassy guys and the postal dept would be head over heels trying to get it to the guy.
I remember a Kumble interview - he was selected for England (1989) and he didnt have a passport - he got one within a week :)
Posted by: Steven at May 6, 2009 5:42 PM
Well batted today Iain, congrats on your 100th First Class run!
Posted by: Andrew at May 6, 2009 10:27 PM
As someone who needed to bowl to him. How is Phil Hughes settling in english conditions? He has had a few big scores, were hoping he is all set come the ashes.
Posted by: Jaymin at May 7, 2009 12:37 AM
I can tell u Iain that none of ur NZ boys are doing a good job in the IPL. Hell, they are not even an automatic pick for their sides. I had Dan n Jesse in my fantasy team and I was 100% sure that they are going to give me lot of points but Jesse was hopeless and has now been dropped from the team. And since sehwag is injured, DD cant play Dan as well. I am ruining my Kiwi selections and wish i had gone for some south africans.
Posted by: kev at May 7, 2009 5:30 AM
wow 2nd equal top runs getter for your team today. well done.
Posted by: KZK COOL at May 7, 2009 8:07 AM
dude, all the best for you to do well in leicestershire.....Have u been picked in the nz squad for the t20???????? plz reply dude
Posted by: Beerman at May 7, 2009 8:08 PM
Iain is indeed in the NZ T20 squad.
Great blog again mate - and nice to see the batting is still progressing. Just need to find some rhythm now. Good luck mate.
Posted by: henry at May 8, 2009 1:33 AM
t20 Bangalore will continue to fail as the team slection has been taken over by the South Africans..Taylor cant even get a bat ahead of the some very average club players..Is jessie injured?
Posted by: saurabh at May 8, 2009 11:58 AM
Hey Ian, was soo waiting to hear from you. It's like I am addicted to your blog. Best of luck in County Cricket. Hope to see you write when the T20 WC starts.
- Iain O'Brien must type as fast as he bowls. After stumps most days he adds to his popular personal blog, covering his take on the play, dressing room snippets and personal insights (he really doesn’t like bouncers). A fast-medium bowler, O’Brien has become a regular member of the New Zealand Test side over the past year and is enjoying his time at the top.