Fresh from helping our 1st team to another Premiership Division title, I caught up with brilliant bowler Liam Dudding over a coffee just a couple of days before he heads back to his homeland.

Liam grew up in the Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island in a pretty typical Kiwi family in which sport played a big part. He played most sports, including rugby and golf, but cricket became his main focus from his mid-teens and he played Premier Cricket for Cornwall Cricket Club before going on to represent Hawke’s Bay.

He didn’t play any age-group representative cricket growing up but in 2016, at the age of 21, he made his NZ first-class cricket debut for Central Districts. Initially on a casual playing contract and later earning himself full-season contracts, Liam has played 19 first-class matches, taking 74 wickets at the very decent average of 24 apiece. He currently plays for Wellington.

Liam has made an incredibly positive impression at our club, both on and off the field. His penetration with the ball (29 wickets in the League at an average of just 16) has been a vitally important component in the bowling attack’s ability to consistently put the opposition to the sword. Liam’s talent and skill-set as a bowler have been there for all to see. He has also made crucial lower-order contributions with the bat, driving us over the line in tight games. He enjoyed his short-lived experience opening the batting last week!

Liam says he’s had a brilliant time with our 1st team squad. They’ve played brilliantly together as a team and enjoyed themselves off the field too. He’s very complimentary about Jimmy Latham’s calm leadership and the manner in which this team has found different ways to win games of cricket this season, at times winning when not particularly at their best. Liam has enjoyed the squad’s great team spirit and the lively mix of personalities in the dressing-room.

Although this isn’t Liam’s first trip to England, it’s his first time playing cricket over here. He brought with him some typically Southern Hemisphere weather and is leaving just as the meteorological conditions are reverting to type.

In his spare time here Liam has seen plenty of Europe, including Bulgaria, Portugal and Croatia. Golfing trips have been the order of the day: he played at Celtic Manor and went to watch the action at the Scottish Open. He’s also been to see the tennis at Wimbledon and attended a day’s play at the World Test Championship final.

It was great chatting to Liam and he jumps on his plane home on Sunday with everyone’s best wishes. His new season with Wellington begins very soon and we wish him all the very best. Liam will always be welcome back at Harpenden CC.