KENT spin bowler Min Patel has come up with the perfect way of dodging pre-season fitness drills and hours in the practice nets – just go play cricket on the other side of the world.

This winter Patel received a surprise call from New Zealand to play state championship cricket for Central Districts and the former England left-armer enjoyed it so much he stayed on to help his side win the Kiwi version of the county championship.

In five games Patel struggled to make an impact with the bat, indeed his highest score was 20, but his naggingly accurate bowling bagged 19 wickets costing 26 apiece to help the nattily-named State Central Stags beat Wellington Firebirds in the Wellington final.

Patel said: "We won the state championship which is primarily an eight-game four-day competition played home and away, with the top two teams playing off for the title.

"We played Wellington in the five-day final, they had home advantage and, as they finished above us in the table, they only had to draw the game to take the title overall.

"The final was played over five days under Test match rules and we won by 112 runs after bowling them out on the final day.

"It blows a gale at Wellington, straight down the ground, so mine was the holding job, but I got three for 63 first innings and kept it tight from one end second dig while our seamers did the damage.

"The overseas players over here ensure English cricket is of a higher standard, but it was good to get some competitive bowling under my belt.

"I’d much rather do that, than endure a couple of days a week in the indoor school in mid-March."