Ian O'Brien

Speaking of bowlers, I have now had an opportunity to spend some time watching Ian O'Brien. I watched him once in a four-dayer for Wellington a year or so ago during which some rather dim kids couldn't work out how to pronounce the name on the scoreboard, "OBRIEN", and kept loudly mocking Obri-ann for his weird name. I thought during that match that he looked a notch faster than the rest of the Wellington attack, and a speed radar reading of 144kmph yesterday confirmed that. He is a bustly bowler with a rough kind of action and bowls "into" the wicket, getting more bounce than batsmen seem to expect. He is also a bit loose, but perhaps that is just first test nerves. I think he is showing a bit of promise.