Cricket: Nash backs his batting skills

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Dion Nash is not ready to crawl away and hide.

Never one to walk away from a challenge, Nash is determined to play as much cricket as he can this summer, even if he has to concentrate on his batting skills, with some offspin bowling.

While his New Zealand team-mates continue their South African tour, a frustrated Nash watches from a distance, nursing the back injury which continues to rule out an early return as a vital part of the national side's depleted pace attack.

Cricket runs through the Nash veins. He does not baulk at the challenge of a return to the highest level as a stand-alone middle-order batsman.

Such feelings are echoed by Auckland Aces coach Tony Sail, who sees Nash playing a vital role in the Shell Cup and Trophy programmes.

Sail has no doubts that Nash is good enough to play as a batsman alone.

"Absolutely. He is good enough to play in any capacity," Sail said. "At No 4, 5 or 6, I feel he is as good as any batsman in the country.

"He certainly has the ability to change his mindset to become a top middle-order batsman.

"It is a challenge, but Dion has never turned his back on anything. He has scored 2800 first-class runs, including three centuries and 13 half-centuries."

Nash sees the spinning option as a means of strengthening his back.

"The injury [a stress fracture] is not too bad when I'm batting or fielding," 28-year-old Nash said. "Of course I would like to get back to the point where I could bowl [at pace] but I am realistic enough to know that it is not going to happen immediately.

"I definitely feel I can force my way into the New Zealand team as a batsman. If I show that kind of form, they know what they will get."

While Nash's African tour was cut short, the New Zealanders could certainly use his drive and inspiration for the summer's home series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.