Nottinghamshire all-rounder Steven Mullaney has returned to British shores following a stint in Australia to further develop his game.
Now with the start of the LV= County Championship just weeks away, he has his sights firmly set on Sunday 6 April and the arrival of Lancashire to Trent Bridge.
“I’m feeling very good, and can’t wait to get going now,” said Mullaney.
“It’s been a long winter for me, and it feels a long time ago that I was flying out to Bangladesh for the Dhaka Premier League.
Mullaney’s latest trip saw him swap the dust of Dhaka for summer in Melbourne, with the aim of continuing his form from last year, which saw him named Nottinghamshire’s Player of the Season.
“The six weeks I’ve spent in Melbourne have been hugely beneficial to my game,” he said.
“I’ve bowled a lot of overs, and developed better game plans to take to the field with.
“I’ve been looking to continue where I left off last season with the bat, hit as many balls as possible, and improve the technical side of my game.
“I’ve been working very closely with Chris Hall, who is a coach with Casey South Melbourne.
“He’s helped me develop my game for years, it’s a tried and tested formula for me and long may it continue.”
Melbourne has been the city of choice for a number of Nottinghamshire players looking to practice through the winter, with Harry Gurney, Luke Fletcher and Sam Kelsall just three of the club’s professionals joining Mullaney in Melbourne.
“I’ve been training with Fletch nearly every day, and Harry too while he was out here with us,” said Mullaney.
“As well as his work with South Melbourne, Chris owns an indoor school, and that’s been excellent for all of us, it was a great place to train.
“Fletch is in excellent shape, we were lucky enough to be able to use the nets at the MCG, and I was unlucky enough to face him and Harry. They’re both bowling quicker than last season, and it was great practice for me.”