Fit and firing David Griffiths feeling positive

Kent fast bowler David Griffiths is fit and firing after a niggling tricep injury interrupted a fine pre-season preparation.

The 29-year-old has played just 80 games of county cricket since signing his first professional contract for Hampshire in 2005.

This statistic is not a reflection on Griffiths’ ability – the former England Under-19 international has troubled many county batting line-ups with his raw pace – but an indication of a career desperately marred by injuries.

The bowler’s problems can be traced back to 2005 when, just months after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with Hants, a stress fracture of the back ruled him out for the summer.

This initial setback was perhaps the hardest to take for the Isle of Wight bowler. It occurred at a pinnacle point in his career and pegged his game back by several seasons.

The 29-year-old paceman said: “I’ve probably suffered most injuries you can think of. I do sometimes think what might have happened if I didn’t pick up these injuries,” he admits. “You try not to, but how can you not?

“It’s obviously disappointing but there are a lot of people less fortunate than I am so you’ve got to keep a positive outlook.

"I would have loved to have played more games, of course, but I still wake up every day knowing I’ve got one of the best jobs in the world so I’d never complain.

"My cricket is going in the right direction and the injuries are hopefully a thing of the past now."

Griffiths joined Kent in 2013 but remained a regular absentee. He only bowled 63 overs in all competitions last season and yet, contributing to his personal and his club’s irritation, he impressed in his limited appearances.

Seven wickets in the T20 Blast in 2014 and a career-best 6 for 63 in the final game of the LV= County Championship demonstrated the paceman’s ability when he’s able to get onto the field.

His stunning spell against Gloucestershire in the Royal London One-Day Cup also helped his adopted county to the semi-finals last summer.

But with the 2015 season in full swing, Griffiths is hopeful that his injuries are behind him and that he can finally flourish on the county circuit.

“Everything’s good at the minute. I’ve been bowling a lot of overs and working hard with the physio. My cricket is going in the right direction and the injuries are hopefully a thing of the past now.

“I’m feeling really positive at the moment and I was delighted with my pre-season – I’ve been bowling well, my pace has been fine and it’s probably been one of my best pre-seasons.

“It would be great to get a proper run in the team and start winning games for Kent again.

"Bowling is hard work, a lot of people don’t understand how hard it is on your body, but I love doing it so every day I can still play cricket I’ll be trying to keep fit and playing.”

Louis Sealey