The Otago Volts are fresh from a winless campaign in the Ford Trophy, and Ferns was not spared.
The South Africa-born right-armer laboured.
But that was pyjama cricket. The Plunket Shield resumes today.
First-class cricket remains the greatest test of a player’s skill set, and Ferns has made an impressive start for his adopted side.
The 32-year-old transferred south from Auckland this season and is the leading seamer in the competition.
He has picked up 16 wickets at an average of 26.43. Only spinners Rohit Gulati (22 at 22.68) and Tim Pringle (19 at 25.52) have claimed more scalps.
"It wasn’t the white ball campaign we wanted," Ferns said.
"Everyone was very excited for it, [and] worked really hard.
"There was a lot of good learnings, some good experiences, some not so good experiences.
"But that’s cricket at the end of the day. We’ll try and be a better team and better players out of those experiences. And we’re looking forward to the real cricket, like you said."
That real cricket gets under way against Canterbury at Hagley Oval this morning.
It is a tough assignment for Otago.
Canterbury lead the competition standings with 49 points. Otago (40 points) are in fifth place, but well within reach.
The Volts have not won the first-class competition since 1987-88.
That history has not escaped even a new arrival like Ferns.
"The Shield hasn’t been here for a wee number of years. If we even have a sniff going into that last game at the end of March, it would be fantastic."
Yes, it would.
And Henry Nicholls is one of the players in the way. The Canterbury batter is arguably in career-best form.
He clobbered four centuries for his province in the Ford Trophy and has three first-class centuries for Canterbury this summer.
The 34-year-old is the third leading scorer in the competition. He has collected 467 runs at a staggering average of 116.75.
Nicholls is the most-prized wicket in a talented batting lineup that includes Tom Latham, Rhys Mariu and Mitch Hay.
And for Ferns, it is perhaps a little personal, too. He was part of the Auckland team that filmed Nicholls allegedly tampering with the ball in 2023.
New Zealand Cricket cleared Nicholls of the charges, but the decision did not sit well with everyone in the cricket community.
Ferns’ stock ball is an inswinger to the right-handed players. But against left-handers like Nicholls, he is taking the ball away from them, and he is hoping to find the edge of Nicholls’ bat nice and early.
That would help Otago’s chances.
Ferns is motivated to do well for his new side.
There was some upheaval during the offseason as Otago struggled to fill the head coaching role left vacant by Ashley Noffke.
Ferns did not waver as such. But he did consider what the move south would look like.
"I kind of asked a question. I wouldn’t say it was any second thoughts. I think, from a personal point of view, playing against Otago, it’s a proud association and it’s something that I wanted to be a part of."
He had also heard rumours that Andre Adams was about to sign on as the assistant coach and he knew head coach Josh Tasman-Jones, so he was satisfied.
"Having discussions with Steve [Martin, general manager of performance] and Coggsy [chief executive Mike Coggan] and the senior players made it feel like it was the right move."
In the other games this round, Auckland host Northern Districts and Central Districts play Wellington in Napier.
Plunket Shield
Hagley Oval, 10.30am
Otago: Jack Boyle, Jacob Cumming, Tom Jones, Thorn Parkes, Troy Johnson, Max Chu, Luke Georgeson (captain), Ben Lockrose, Danru Ferns, Matt Bacon, Jarrod McKay, Thomas O’Connor.
Canterbury: Tom Latham, Rhys Mariu, Henry Nicholls, Matt Boyle, Scott Janett, Leo Carter, Mitch Hay, Sean Davey, Michael Rae, Fraser Sheat, Callum Cameron, Travis Muller.
