Newly acquired batting all-rounder JP King is in a race against time to recover from a thumb injury which could see him miss the start of the domestic season for the Dafabet Warriors later in September.
But the young recruit is confident that the problem will be resolved by the time the Bay side take to the field for their opening division one CSA One-Day Cup match against Western Province at Newlands on September 25.
The righthand batsman will suit up for the Warriors in the new domestic campaign and will be itching to impress when he does get the opportunity as he gets settled in his new surroundings.
Recruited from the North West Dragons, for whom he made his first-class debut against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in last season’s red-ball competition, King follows a long line of NW University batsmen such as Janneman Malan, Marques Ackerman and former Warriors opening batsman Wihan Lubbe to make their way into the professional ranks via the Dragons.
“I think I can learn quite a lot here.
“This is an awesome group of players and I cannot wait to get stuck in,” King said.
“The coaching staff are really helpful, the players are excellent at the human aspect of the game and really make you feel at home.
“I’m also fairly young, so any chance to come down to the beach is always a bonus, but, seriously, everyone is so welcoming here.
“Whether you are on the field or in the changeroom, you learn a great deal and I will take any chance to learn with both hands.”
King performed consistently for NWU in 2022 and was one of the standout players in the 2022 Varsity Cricket tournament.
He showed glimpses of his ability in the two 4-Day matches he played last season.
Against the Momentum Multiply Titans, he hit a brilliant 92 in the second innings and in his debut against the Dolphins two weeks earlier he claimed three wickets in Durban.
King said the recent alignment camp had gone a long way to making the new members of the squad feel at home in what is expected to be a busy season.
“It was a really good camp for the new guys because some of us may have played against these players, but sharing a dressing room is totally different.
“It is something you have to get used to, but makes it so much easier for us to just reinforce that bond as a team,” he said.
“It is a talented young squad with a lot of potential.
“I think we can be quite competitive despite the young nature of our squad.
“If we can play the type of cricket we have been speaking about, nothing is impossible.
“Obviously, being a Proteas player is the goal for every cricketer in this country, and I am no different.
“My goal is to do well for the Warriors when I am called on.
“That is the main focus now and if I can do that well, the rest will fall into place.”
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