Viljoen happy with how bowling has gone

Christi Viljoen gets the ball away in a intersquad game at Sunnyvale on Thursday. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Christi Viljoen gets the ball away in a intersquad game at Sunnyvale on Thursday. Photo: Peter McIntosh
Christi Viljoen is enjoying life in Dunedin. Second to none, he says.

And he is paying his city and province back with some impressive performances for his adopted team.

Viljoen - the one with a rather awkward bowling action in which he delivers the ball off the wrong foot, similar to Lance Cairns - has been one of the more impressive bowlers in the Super Smash tournament.

The former Namibian international has been limited in his appearances so far as he is a victim of import restrictions but his bowling has been of a high enough quality to keep his name in the selectors' minds.

''I'm pretty happy with how the bowling has gone. I would like to contribute a bit more with the bat but it can by hard in twenty20 when you come in near the end of the innings,'' he said.

''With the bowling, I think we've just got a really good structure and a good plan within the team. We have scouted all the batters and we are really clear with what we have to do at the top of the mark coming into bowl.

''You just have to execute the best you can. Sometimes with the nature of twenty20 the batters will be better than you on the day.''

Bowling in the shortest version of the game is becoming more and more about being able to disguise the speed of the ball. Viljoen said there was no trick to getting that right.

''That just comes from years and years of training to try and perfect it. Just practising it for hours and hours. Luckily when bowling, Jacob [co-captain Jacob Duffy] always tends to be at mid off so we can talk about the next ball and come up with a plan.''

The 31-year-old felt his cutter was working well while he was getting plenty of bounce in his bowling. But being a bowler in a batsman-friendly game was not easy.

''Last weekend we played in Auckland and the boundaries were miles in from the fence ... you just try and invent new balls and new plans to stop them.''

Viljoen is keen to play for New Zealand and has fulfilled the residency requirement of living in the country for three years in a row, for at least 210 days of each year. But he will still be classified as an overseas player until he plays for New Zealand A or the Black Caps.

With only three overseas players allowed in any domestic side and the two Bens - Cox and Raine - as paid English professionals sure to make the team - Viljoen has been duelling for a spot with flatmate Michael Rippon.

Viljoen said he had stayed in Dunedin last winter and thoroughly enjoyed the city. The people were second to none and it was easy to get around. He credits that break for helping his game this season.

Otago has named opener Neil Broom for tomorrow's game. Broom has overcome a hand injury and his experience will be much needed in what is a crunch game for the home side.

Fine weather with increasing cloud is forecast for tomorrow.

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