Brendan Maher has been taken aback by the "phenomenal athletes" at Aussie cricket club Adelaide Strikers.

The All Star hurler is Down Under trying out professional cricket for a week as part of the second season of The Toughest Trade.

"I have to be honest", notes the Borris-Ileigh clubman, "not that I wouldn't have respected them, I just didn't have the interest in it, but having spent just a few hours with the bowlers and having seen it up close, I'm thinking about it differently. The bowlers are phenomenal athletes and when you see them up close, you think that these lads are different animals.

"I couldn't believe the pace they were bowling at. It was just unbelievable, but it's what I'm going to have to deal with.

"At first I actually stood behind the wicket and there are 22 yards between wickets, which seems like a big distance, but when the ball is coming at 100, 120, 130kmh they tell you there's just 0.3 of a second to react.

"Hurling is so open and you use your shoulders so the natural reaction for me will be just to let fly. You have to keep the bat close to your body and let the ball come to you rather than stepping out and leaving yourself open. Your first stance is very important to allow you to make those subtle changes. That's something I'm going to have to try and work on."

Tweet

Most Read Stories