May 18, 2012 Daredevils ready to step up!

It’s exciting times here at Delhi, with the mighty Daredevils sitting atop the standings heading towards the finals. We did run in to a bit of a Gayle storm the other night, but hopefully that won’t hurt us too much in the long run.

I really think it could be our year to take out the IPL. As soon as I arrived, I could see the team was gelling together really well, although Morne Morkel is still pranking people - will that guy ever grow up! He absolutely cracks me up. Some of his stunts include saying you have a package downstairs when there isn’t one and the other night hotel staff knocked at my door and said “your food sir” to which I had to respond that I hadn’t ordered any. On the field, I think we have a terrifically balanced team and KP did a great job in the early part of the competition. He actually gave me some big shoes to fill so it was a little bit of a relief to get a 100 in that second match and deliver for the fans. (the second pic on the right is from the team bus on the way to the Feroz Shah Kotla).

Once the IPL is over, I’m set for a rare two weeks at home in the winter, I don’t know if even remember what cold weather is like! Although if I haven’t remembered once my time at home is over, Australia’s tour in the UK summer should also provide a chance to dust off the sweaters. It’s only a one-day series, but it’s a great chance to get a feel for conditions ahead of next year’s Ashes and to hopefully land a psychological blow on the old enemy in their own backyard.

I thought our recent tour to the West Indies was a big step forward for the team. It was a really difficult series due to the conditions. The pitches didn’t give me the chance to score freely, so it was a great exercise to practice a little bit of patience and just try and grind away. Our West Indies opposition are definitely on the improve. Otis Gibson has done a fine job, especially with their t20 and one-day game. They are a serious bunch of athletes in the field now and will be a big danger in T20 World Cup later in the year.

The tour also marked my first Test wicket, which I definitely enjoyed! I have always bowled since I was kid, but in recent year’s I have hardly had any overs at all, so when I was thrown the ball I could see my mum’s reaction was like a big “oh no!” haha. But seriously I think I can bring something to the team with my bowling, especially if I can land them more consistently.

West Indies was a terrific place to tour. I remembered all the stuff I did there when I was there for the T20 WC and tried to fit as much in as I could. I managed to get out on the jet ski, play some beach volleyball, walk through the mountains and went fishing for five hours, which resulted in NO fish caught. The cliff restaurant in Barbados is a must for anyone visiting the region and the buffet at Sandy Lane where Tiger Woods got married is pretty amazing as well. It was also great to have Mum and Dad with me who have not been out of Australia for quite a while. Managed to get them a business class seat, which would have made my Mum very nervous and my Dad eager to ask the hostess for a beer!

It was tough to turn up in India and get into the T20 format straight away, but with Delhi playing so well it has made it seamless. Despite all the travel the body is feeling fine and I can’t wait for the finals series and then to get green and gold back on again! I would also like to publicly announce the latest addition to the Warner family - my huskey named Vegas! You can see on the right where he gets his looks from!

Until next time, Dave

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