Settle cricket followers can look forward to seeing their current professional in action again next year, as their in-form Kiwi star, Brent Findlay, has agreed to sign for another year after a successful first season at the Marshfield.

Cricket chairman Andrew Davidson said he was delighted that the young Kiwi would be returning for another campaign.

“We offered Brent another year a few weeks back and he decided, within seconds, that he would accept with some fine tuning.

“We have all been really pleased and impressed with the way Brent has gone about his work. His performances have, at times been outstanding. His century and five wickets at the weekend was a thoroughly professional performance and gave the young lads in the team something to aspire to.

“He is a winner and his attitude is starting to pay off in terms of getting the younger, inexperienced, members of the team to focus on their game and develop a fighting, winning attitude.

“On the non-playing front he has delivered structured training nights, has helped with the U-15 team and with the club’s younger members on Friday evenings. He has visited local schools on a regular basis and even set up one-to-one sessions with some of the younger players to help them develop.

“Off the field he has been outstanding and has become a real clubman. Not many professionals would, at the drop of a hat, help with transporting a young third team to Edenfield, help arrange social functions and muck in with other aspects of everyday life at a grass-roots cricket club.

“He is what I would call a proper club professional and something which we have been searching for since 2004. He is well liked by all the lads, members and locals; loves the rural life and is an excellent role model for the young players.

“He is even leading the way (nine seconds) in the weekly team man-of-the-match award for downing the litre in a beaker, so he is a real all- rounder!”

Davidson added that the club is in transition and it was very important that the professional was in tune with the vision and re-building programme that was taking shape.

He added: “Since we did the double in 2005 there has been a gradual decline in the performances of the first team and that was bound to happen through natural causes. We are determined to re-build a competitive side, based on local youth and talent, and therefore need to fast track the best into the team and allow them to develop.

“We are regularly playing six or seven teenagers in the side with only Mark Verden and myself near to the sell-by date to give experience, so it is vital that the professional does not get dejected when performances dip due to the inexperience and gradual development of the side.

“In fact, having won eight and lost nine of the 17 games played, everyone in the club is astounded at how well the side has done this year.

“That is down to the younger lads starting to chip in and develop, the older heads still turning in the performances and Brent’s attitude and match-winning ability.

“It is all good news for the young New Zealander as he has also said yes to a new post back home as Director of Cricket at Auckland’s largest and top club, Cornwall CC.

“His role covers everything within the club on the playing side and means also that he will spearhead his own aspirations with Auckland state next year rather than with Canterbury.

“I know that Brent is really pleased about his appointment and the model at Auckland is something which he wants to bring back and develop with us next year,” said Davidson.