The Nelson Griffins’ latest representative, Brett Randell, is just relieved to be playing cricket again.
Turning out for the provincial side in the Chapple Cup last month was a key step in Brett’s comeback from a potentially career-ending injury last March.
The Central Districts fast bowler, known as Rammer, had been in arguably the best form of his career, snaring plenty of wickets in all three domestic formats.
But that all came crashing down when he fell heavily diving to try to stop the ball in the outfield at Eden Park’s outer oval.
Brett broke his collarbone. The irony was he probably didn’t need to throw himself about as CD had amassed over 700 runs in its first innings against Auckland.
“It was a freak accident and then the injury didn’t heal properly. I had a frozen left shoulder so there was a period when I couldn’t lift my hand up above my shoulder in front of myself. I had to wait six and a half months for surgery,” reveals Brett, immediately after playing for the Central Stags against the Canterbury Kings at Saxton Oval on 3 January.
You could understand him not really wanting to stop for a chat, while signing autographs, as his side had just been thumped by nine wickets.
And he was also a bit under the weather, with possibly a sinus infection, and along with his bowling teammates, under the pump from a rampant Canterbury outfit.
But Brett was still loving being back in Nelson and playing at his newly-adopted home ground.
“It is a great venue. I have always enjoyed playing here for CD and before that Northern Districts, but it can be tough for bowlers as you have just seen,” says the paceman whose black head band and shirt number 00 make him easy to spot in the field.
So how did the Nelson call-up come about? “As Josh Clarkson is the only CD player associated with Nelson, the organisation thought it would be a good fit for me.”
And it was, as nine and a half months after his accident he was immediately back in the wickets and runs in the Central Districts competition in Palmerston North just before Christmas.
It helped that Brett also knew a key figure in the Nelson set-up, captain and manager Mike Olsen.
“We both played club cricket in Auckland and now we are fellow Griffins. Happy days.”
Auckland is where Brett started out before getting married, moving to Papamoa and playing six seasons for Northern Districts.
“Then CD came knocking and offering more playing time.” But he wasn’t giving up his Bay of Plenty lifestyle. “It is a great town, close to the beach, and my four kids love it.”
He’s mixed cricket with working in the kiwifruit industry where he looks after teams of RSE workers.
With that beach and horticulture combination, if he tires of Papamoa then Nelson could be perfect shift for him.
Despite having already claimed 100 first class wickets, Brett says there was never a suggestion the serious injury would curtail his career.
“I am only 30 so I have plenty more cricket left in me.” As for diving in the field again. “I was definitely a bit wary to begin with but once the confidence returned, I was fine.”
