HEADING SOUTH: After spending the second half of the Wanganui season with United, Christi Viljoen will head to Otago to play for the Volts next summer.PHOTO/FILE
HEADING SOUTH: After spending the second half of the Wanganui season with United, Christi Viljoen will head to Otago to play for the Volts next summer.PHOTO/FILE
WANGANUI import cricketer Christi Viljoen has signed to play with the Otago Volts in the 2015-16 season.
The 27-year-old former Namibian international is currently playing League cricket for Blackpool in the United Kingdom after completing the Wanganui Premier 1 season with United.
His Cricket Nation manager Rod Bannister said Viljoenwill be based in Dunedin for the coming summer with the Volts as he eyes up his first-class debut in this country in the Plunket Shield.
After coming to the Central Districts region last year hoping to force a late inclusion in the Stags, Viljoen and Bannister shopped around and spent three days with the injury-hit Volts during their game with Northern Districts at Seddon Park.
"After on-going discussions with a couple of very interested major associations we were able to come to a win-win agreement with Otago," Bannister said.
"Viljoen turned his back on his international career with Namibia to chase his dream of playing first class cricket in New Zealand and ultimately for the Black Caps at the next Cricket World Cup, and is very excited and grateful for the Otago opportunity."
It therefore seems unlikely Viljoen will be available to play for Wanganui on the first weekend of the season - the three day Chapple Cup tournament - due to his affiliation to a different association.
However Bannister, the Wanganui coach, is still hopeful Viljoen could make a flying stop "home" before heading south if an appearance can be negotiated with Otago.
"He'll definitely come back, he owes me a bit. I know Ben Smith can [play Chapple], although he plays for Central Districts. That will just take some discussion to see."
Bannister said they would still like to secure at least a couple of professional players to strengthen up the local club and representative programme for the coming summer.
"For this to go forward, the local clubs need to play a support role in making this happen. Ideally there needs to be three playing pros fronting up for different club teams next season assisting with the coaching, on-field leadership, and available to play rep cricket to improve the standard in the city."
