Late lessons boost Bradburn's career

Grant Bradburn's started playing first-class cricket in 1985/86, but he says the last three months have been the greatest learning period of his career.

First selected for New Zealand in 1990 to tour Pakistan, this year's Northern Districts player of the year Bradburn had his last international experience when called in as a replacement for the bomb-affected tour of Sri Lanka in 1992/93.

Then, in a surprising move by the national selectors, he was recalled for the second Test match against Pakistan last summer.

He played in the third Test and was selected for the end of season tour of Sharjah.

Since then, with his career and horizons readjusted, he has been working with New Zealand Cricket's director of playing development Ashley Ross, and also coaches Mike Shimpton and Dayle Hadlee, at the Cricket Academy on aspects of his bowling action and batting technique.

"I've made a couple of technical changes to my bowling action and there was an area of need in my sweep shot that I have been working on," he said.

The sweep shot had not really been an option for him in the past but the need to be able to play in Sri Lankan conditions meant he needed to work on changes.

Since playing the Pakistan Tests, Bradburn has had access to coaching materials not previously available to him.

"The access to television footage has been important because it confirms what you think you might be doing, you can put some fact to what you are trying to do.

"I've also had expert coaching that can really go into the mechanics of what you are doing.

"It is quite exciting and I am looking forward to getting the chance to put it to use in match situations," he said.

Having seen his bowling action on film and wanting to keep on bettering it, even at his advanced age of 35, he has been putting in work that he said is starting to pay benefits and which, once he gets used to the changes, is likely to be better in three or four months time.

"I still need a little bit of reassuring about it in match situations," he said.

However, players in Hamilton who have been batting to him when he has been bowling in the nets have noticed the changes.

The ball is coming to them on a different arc, there is more overspin, there is more dip and there is more spin and bounce than what he had previously been able to achieve.

Bradburn said it had been reasonably difficult to make changes to an action he had grown accustomed to over nearly 20 years of play.

The changes were not huge or immediately obvious to the eye, but they were significant from his end of the exercise.

"I've even had one little tip from Dayle Hadlee from a fast bowler's attitude which has been incorporated.

"It has all given me and my career a new lease of life. It is really exciting and while I have played for so long I still believe there is always potential to improve," he said.