NZ season done for Duffy, next stop England
“The first game is going to be pretty tough against a pretty good Yorkshire team. I’ll still be a bit jet-laggy."
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Jacob Duffy has brought down the curtain on a remarkable 2024-2025 home season in New Zealand as the Southlander quickly turns his sights to his next cricketing assignment.
Duffy took two for 40 from seven overs on Saturday in Mount Maunganui as the Black Caps made a clean sweep with a 3-0 ODI series win against Pakistan,
The 30-year-old pace bowler finished the three-match series with seven wickets at an average of 18 per wicket and an economy rate of 5.5 runs per over.
That followed Duffy’s sublime T20 series where he racked up 13 wickets at average of just 8 runs per wicket which propelled him to become the ICC’s No 1 ranked international T20 bowler.
Duffy’s next week sheds some light on the unique and frantic life of a pro cricketer.
After wrapping up his home New Zealand season with the Black Caps on Saturday he returns to Dunedin on Sunday.
The next day he is on a flight to England to link with Worcestershire for the English domestic summer.
His first assignment will be a four-day game against Yorkshire starting on April 11 - three days after he lands in England on April 8.
“The first game is going to be pretty tough against a pretty good Yorkshire team. I’ll still be a bit jet-laggy.
“It’s what I signed up for, so it’ll be all good once I get there,” Duffy said.
Duffy will be available for six red-ball matches in April and May and at least one of the two rounds scheduled in June.
His Worcestershire deal also covers eight T20 Blast games up until the end of June.
The hope is Duffy will then join the Black Caps in Zimbabwe in July and potentially make his test debut.
“I’ve got no idea what Zimbabwe pitches are like, whether they are seamer or spinner friendly, but I definitely want to be there for that. There are twenty20s as well as tests, but I’m still keen to get that test debut at some stage, hopefully.”