Jason Holder has arrived at The County Ground raring to get going for Northamptonshire in the Specsavers County Championship.
The West Indies captain is with Northamptonshire for the County’s first two Specsavers County Championship matches and six Royal London One-Day Cup games before he joins his country for the 2019 World Cup.
Northamptonshire’s campaign gets underway at home on Friday morning against Middlesex, and Holder says that he is looking forward to facing the challenge of English conditions head on.
“I’m excited,” he says. “I’ve played in England before but I’ve not played County Cricket, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a child growing up.
“It’s a perfect opportunity to get acclimatised to the conditions in England. I’ve heard so many things about County Cricket and it’s the perfect place to get ready for the World Cup, and I’ve got two County Championship and a few One-Day games and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Holder is following in the footsteps of some illustrious West Indian cricketers to have worn the Northamptonshire maroon, players such as Eldine Baptiste, Roger Harper, Winston Davis and Curtly Ambrose, and is well aware of the role that the English domestic competition has played in the development of the international game in the Caribbean.
“I’ve seen the history and heritage of West Indians that have come through County programmes and it’s a pretty good feeling to be here and be a part of it,” he adds.
“Hopefully I can help as much as I can here at Northamptonshire and get a few wins in the dressing room.”
Northamptonshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Middlesex starts at 11am on Friday morning and continues throughout the weekend.
Tickets can be booked here and will also be available at The County Ground ticket office each day.