Cricket: Newbie allrounder in study and sport

NIGHTWATCHMAN: Navin Patel realises the importance of working on his batting to secure a No 7 or 8 position with CD Stags. PHOTO/Duncan Brown

NEVER MIND cricket but in the eyes of people with Indian heritage sport and academia will always make odd bedfellows.

Juggle, by all means, but if the person starts grassing catches in the intellectual arena then sport inevitably ends up on the backburner.

Devon Hotel Central Districts newbie Navin Patel knows all about it but is thankful his parents, Penny and Len Patel, of Palmerston North, have always backed him to accomplish both.

"I'm down in Wellington studying through the days and training at nights," says the 21-year-old Manawatu representative cricketer before the four-day Budget Rental Plunket Shield match against the Canterbury Kings at Saxton Oval, Nelson, from today.

The predominantly youthful Heinrich Malan-coached Stags are coming off a high after retaining the one-day Ford Trophy in domestic cricket but remain winless in the red-ball format after the fourth round resumed last week in Napier.

Patel, whose parents are owner/pharmacists in Palmerston North, received a call up from Malan after consistent performances in the Hawke Cup campaign from last summer.

"Michael Mason said I was getting an opportunity at the four-day level because of the Hawke Cup," says Patel, of Manawatu coach Mason, a former Stag and Black Caps seamer.

Having made his CD debut before Christmas, the former Palmerston North Boys' High School pupil has taken the demands of university versus sport in his stride.

His love of the game sees him contribute to CD's cause.

"I'm in my final year of studying so I'll be getting out of it when I graduate to focus on cricket for a few years."

The right-arm, medium-fast swing bowler was born in Birmingham, England, but when he was 9, his parents came to New Zealand for work opportunities and a change in lifestyle.

His sister, Anika, 17, will attend Auckland University this year.

"My parents are obviously very proud and very supportive because they're always travelling and sitting around watching me when I'm playing."

His late grandfather was passionate about cricket, inspiring him into hard-ball cricket at the age of 7.

"There weren't that many opportunities to play cricket in England. They are more academically focused there, whereas in New Zealand everyone is encouraged to play sport so it was a huge bonus to come here."

Malan gave Patel the opportunity to be nightwatchman against Northern Districts in the previous round and he occupied the crease but would have preferred to make more runs.

While white-ball formats would be great, he realises his strength is in the red-ball game.

Where lectures and tutorials will clash with game days, Patel is happy to contribute at the back end of the season.

He thoroughly enjoys the CD environment under new captain William Young, where basics are the norm and a win not too far off, he reckons.

Patel helped Manawatu lift the Hawke Cup in 2013-14 and rates it one of his most memorable moments.

Canterbury will be without opening batsman Tom Latham and bowler Ed Nuttall.

In come Chad Bowes, a former South Africa Under-19 player, and Michael Davidson.

BOTH TEAMS

The Central Districts Stags v Canterbury Kings in the Budget Rental Plunket Shield match at Saxton Oval, Nelson, from today:

STAGS: Will Young (c, Taranaki), Tom Bruce (Taranaki), Dane Cleaver (wk, Manawatu), Greg Hay (Nelson), Ajaz Patel (Hawke's Bay), Navin Patel (Manawatu), Seth Rance (Wairarapa), Dean Robinson (Taranaki), Bevan Small (Manawatu), Ben Smith (Whanganui), Blair Tickner (Hawke's Bay), George Worker (Manawatu).

Coach: Heinrich Malan.

KINGS: Peter Fulton (c), Todd Astle, Chad Bowes, Leo Carter, Michael Davidson, Andrew Ellis, Cameron Fletcher (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Tim Johnston, Cole McConchie, Logan van Beek, Will Williams.

Coach: Gary Stead.