Danny Briggs has experienced the "great occasion" that is Vitality Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston - now he is eager to taste it as a home player.
Briggs has signed for the Bears keen to make a big impression in all formats but, as the leading wicket-taker in Blast history, he will clearly have a huge part to play in the shortest comp.
The 29-year-old has heard from his new team-mates all about the thrill of playing Finals Day with a huge Bears contingent behind them – and is mustard keen to experience that, hopefully in 2012.
“Edgbaston is a great ground and, having played there in a few Finals Days, I realise just how great the atmosphere is,” he said.
“I can imagine how amazing it is to play in Finals Day there as a Bear. In 2010, when I was at Hampshire, we had the final at the Ageas Bowl and it does make such a difference with so many more people there rooting for you.
Danny Briggs
“Finals Day is brilliant and they do it really well at Edgbaston, so to get there and make that home advantage has to count has got to be an aim of ours.”
Briggs has joined the Bears armed with immense experience and a great track record in the format already, but is keen to keep on learning, as he will do in the coming weeks Down Under. He has just arrived in Australia ahead of his first stint in the Big Bash, with Adelaide Strikers.
Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie believes the former Hampshire and Sussex player has everything you want from a spinner in T20.
“Briggsy is a calm head, an experienced campaigner,” said Gillespie. “He can bowl in every phase of a T20 game and is very versatile and adaptable. Danny will add another dimension to our bowling attack and is a fantastic guy. He’s very calm, a gun fielder but he also has that experienced head and he will crack in and do his job.”
Briggs can’t wait for the Strikers’ campaign to begin, against Hobart Hurricanes on December 13th.
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “It’s something I have waited for for a long time. It will be great experience to be an overseas player in a side and I’m just excited to use the opportunity as well as I can to learn as much as I can from others.”
