ISLE of Wight cricketer Adam Hose has had mixed fortunes since he joined the Wellington Firebirds in New Zealand for his first taste of the Burger King Super Smash T20 tournament — but is enjoying and learning much from the pressures of being an overseas player.

After an indifferent start with the bat for the Firebirds after he joined them on December 16, Adam — a regular in the Birmingham Bears T20 side — has adapted well to the conditions and is starting to pile on the runs.

In his last three innings, Adam, who grew up in Rookley and played for Ventnor Cricket Club, has hit 54 not out against Canterbury, 52 against the Northern Districts and 38 against Auckland — top scoring in two of the innings.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Isle of Wight-born Adam Hose in action for the Birmingham Bears last season.

His next T20 match will be against Otago in Dunedin on Sunday, with Wellington fifth from six teams in the table.

Adam, reflecting on his exciting first five weeks in New Zealand, said: “We’ve played some really positive and attacking cricket, but just haven’t managed to do that consistently up to this point.

“Saying that, there are still three games left and if we win them all, we’re in with a good chance of qualification.

“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball well. I’ve had a few good scores, so hopefully an even bigger one is just around the corner.

“The grounds and conditions are fairly similar to those in England, so that hasn’t taken much adaptation.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Adam Hose, enjoying the challenge in New Zealand.

“Fitting into the dynamic of a new changing room can sometimes be a challenge, but right from my first day I was welcomed and made to feel right at home.

“The pressures of dealing with overseas player expectations is a key learning point, which I will take from this trip.

“Adaptation is very important as a cricketer, so I’ve really worked hard on taking responsibility and getting the team into good positions.

“Also, New Zealand is an absolutely beautiful country and I’ve been fortunate enough to see a fair bit of it on our away games.

“I get to tick a Queenstown golf trip off the bucket list next week.

“One eye is still focused on preparations for the 2019 English season and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Bears for a few weeks before we head off to Dubai for pre-season.”