Sum up your first summer of domestic cricket in a sentence...

An awesome experience with a great bunch of fellas where I learned plenty, worked hard and enjoyed myself every day.

How have you relaxed after the season?

I went off on a 'relaxing' boys trip with some team mates (Lockie Ferguson, Ben Horne and Robbie O'Donnell) to see the sights of New York and Boston. Had a wicked time, just getting away from cricket and experiencing a few things like getting to Yankee Stadium and cruising round Central Park. Might have tested a few of the local pubs out too.

Aside from that I am back working in construction, and trying to do everything I can aside from cricket. Been spending a lot of time at Mt Smart watching the mighty Warriors start their season so well. It's good to mentally get away from bowling balls, taking catches etc and come back into the preseason with a hunger for the game again.

What was the most difficult thing about bowling to domestic batsmen?

I found that what has worked for me at club cricket didn't work against the top batsmen, and in particular I struggled with what length was going to work to the best guys. Obviously the batsmen at this level are going to hurt you if you miss by a tiny margin. Generally batsmen at a lower grade will have one side of the wicket they find scoring on easier too, but these guys don't discriminate. That can be hard to plan for, especially with fielding restrictions in the white ball competitions.

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How did you find the transition from Plunket Shield to Ford Trophy cricket?

Well I made the reverse of that transition (debuted in the one-day competition) and I struggled a wee bit with the change. I love the challenge of restricting runs in white ball cricket, I think the pressure of not conceding brings the best out of me, and so I enjoyed playing the Ford Trophy stuff and making small contributions to what ended up being a successful campaign for us.

I found that once we went back to red-ball cricket I couldn't just rely on bowling cheap overs to have done my job, and that's when you start searching for wickets. You feel pressure to blast teams away because the red-ball does more in the air and off the wicket. When the pitches are flat later in the season you just need to sit in an area and make sure the batsmen go nowhere to earn a wicket, and the consistency in bowling that one area is probably more the measure of your success.

What was the biggest lesson you learned in your debut season?

The more specific you are in your preparation - that is in bowling loads, technical work, fitness, scouting opposition among other things - the more you put the percentages in your favour to succeed. Our coach Mark O'Donnell was really big on training smart and specific. I found that once I emphasised the preparation, performances looked after themselves and the execution in pressure situations felt more natural. Leave no stone unturned so that you are physically prepared to do your best, but also confident in your mind and not doubting yourself at the top of your mark.

Do you have a drill/routine that you need to do every training session?

I will always try to get core exercises in before training and even before a game. I guess it follows on from what I said before about preparation - when I began putting in 20 minutes of core work a day I saw my durability and speed increase, so I've tried to make that part of my every day routine to make sure I'm staying on the park and bowling as quick as I can.

How will you spend the winter - do you have anything specific that you will try to improve?

There are so many things that I need to work on - batting, fielding, variations with the ball, consistency and gym strength are all things I need to get better at to increase my value to the team. Tailenders love to hit bombs in the nets, but I don't want to spend all my time batting to the detriment of my bowling or fitness. Likewise, I don't want to just bowl and bowl and bowl and continue to bat at 11 my whole life. I think learning to train smarter and utilise time and energy is a skill in itself and going forward, this winter is probably a good opportunity to find the right balance so I can hit next season running and continue working on all my skills.

Which batsmen gave you the most problems this season?

There were plenty but if I had to choose one, Will Young was up there. He puts a high price on his wicket and works singles pretty well. The guys who can turn your stock balls into singles can frustrate you, especially in 4-day cricket. He is just very difficult to get out, and doesn't have a real obvious flaw to his game. I played against him four times, and he scored two centuries and a 49 in four innings. I managed to get him out once, it was only about 160 runs after he came in!

Which ground has the best lunch and why?

I'd seen Shawn Hicks' skinfolds rising ever since he signed with Otago and after I played at University Oval I could see why. Fantastic spread down south. They put on a gun salad, have a couple of meat options and most importantly, there is enough for seconds.

Howick Pakuranga is the best cricket club in Aotearoa because...

Unfortunately I don't have the time to write you a comprehensive list, as it would be far too long. But the club has had success on the field recently, and the production of representative players is pretty phenomena; 3 current Blackcaps, as well as an NZ U19 player and numerous Auckland Aces and Auckland A reps. The premiers only lost 3 games in all formats last season (one being the T20 final) and won the Two day competition for the first time in 25 years this season, and the reserve side and 3rd grade stallions are also strong.

Most importantly the club culture has been unbelievable this season - there are always heaps of people at the bar after trainings and games. From the Premiers to the 4th team, women's sides and the Presidents grade (as well as a few clingers like recently retired Blair Rutherford). I think that's what club cricket is about and Howick Pakuranga have been doing it really well for the last couple of seasons.

What is the best advice you have received?

"The harder you work, the luckier you get". The old NZ Warriors captain Steve Price said this to me once upon a time. It's not exactly factually correct, but the sentiment is convincing enough. There have been many times where I wanted to walk out of the gym or not turn up to club practice and this saying managed to drag me through somehow. Turns out I got pretty lucky with the final Auckland contract, so maybe he was right.

What advice would you give to a youngster?

Simple plans are the easiest to remember when you're under pressure, so trying to take 2 extra seconds at the top of your mark before you bowl always helps you think about what you're trying to achieve. And practice the way you want to play - if you're performing poorly in the nets, you're just getting better and better at performing poorly.

Who would you like the give thanks to?

My mum and dad were pretty supportive when I was young and learning the game. Dad in particular wasn't a massive cricket fan before I started playing, so I'll always be thankful for him giving up his time to help me out.

My sponsor Freedom2Play have been awesome, they've been nothing but supportive of me and are always there to help out with cricket gear when needed. Howick Pakuranga has also been a great influence on my cricket. In particular my coaches there Dipak Patel, Hayden Gardner and Ben Williams have given me the belief and skills to get to this point in my cricket career. I also better thank Andy De Boorder who was my first captain at Premier level - he planted the seed in my head that I had the potential to have a crack at first class cricket when I was 18. He might be short and bald, but believe it or not there is a brain in De Boorder's peanut head.

Finally to Auckland cricket for taking a punt on me and Mark O'Donnell, Michael Guptill-Bunce and Craig Cachopa, who made life a lot easier coming into the setup as such a newbie. I knew hardly anyone when I first joined, and as coach and captains, they made everyone feel as though there was no social hierarchy. They had the utmost faith in every one of the guys, new or old, which was a great environment to be a part of.