Northeast plans winter work in Queensland

By Mark Pennell

Kent opening batsman Sam Northeast is spending four months in the hard finishing school that is Australian Grade cricket this winter in a bid to hit the 2013 season full of runs.

The 23-year-old right-hander endured a miserable start to the 2012 campaign and spent the first month of the season confined to the Kent Second XI – an experience the former Wellesley House and Harrow School prodigy is keen not to repeat.

Though he ended the summer as Kent’s leading first-class run-scorer with 969 at an average of 57, Northeast has decided to jet off to the Sunshine Coast to improve his fitness and hone his game – possibly with the help of his St Lawrence team-mate Brendan Nash.

Northeast said: “He has played in that same Brisbane league, so Brendan and I will probably do a bit of work here and there when he’s free. He’s a great man to talk to and I use him as a sounding board. I’m hoping to have a good few one-to-one sessions with him.

“James Tredwell has also been out there before, working with a guy called Brad Murphy. He said he enjoyed it and benefited from it, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Northeast added: “Being the off-season, you have got to work on your game, try to introduce a few new things. (Kent head coach) Jimmy Adams and I have chatted about areas that we think I can improve on. Winter can be an exciting time as you can push yourself and see how far you can get.”



Date: 07/11/2012 15:28:40 by Mark Pennell
In: Today | Kent |