Starting the season in the Second XI and finishing by being selected for England’s Fast Bowling Programme is the stuff of dreams, but to the few hardy Hampshire fans who turn out regularly to see the Seconds play, probably no great surprise that it happened for Griff. Watching David Griffiths run in with energy, intent and something approaching venom was one of the most electric sights on the Nursery Ground in the early part of the summer.

What is surprising is using the words ‘venom’ and ‘David Griffiths’ in the same sentence. Friendly, unassuming and maybe a little bit shy are probably a great deal closer to the mark. Nor does he have the typical stature of a fast bowler, but then he doesn’t need to; Griff, as he is generally known, let’s the ball do the talking – at speeds just touching 90 miles per hour.

Cricketers often complain that the only way to get noticed by the England set up is to play well in televised games, and Griff took 4 for 29 in the Pro40 against Gloucestershire. Does he feel that boosted his chances? “A few people have said that” he told me. “Hopefully it did, but performing well for Hampshire was my main aim before anything else. It was a bit of luck that it was on TV, and taking nothing away from Gloucester, I don’t think they were one of the strongest teams in our group. It was just a real joy to get that performance and get Man of the Match.”

It wasn’t long after that when Griff heard he had been selected for the England Fast Bowling Programme. “It was the last game up at Yorkshire. Jonny [Ayling, Hampshire’s bowling coach] had been telling me that if I kept bowling well I’d get on the course, then half way through the game Chalky came up to me and said well done – I’d got on it. It was a little bit of a shock to be fair!

“We go to America in a month, then up to Loughborough for two weeks after Christmas, and then to India for two weeks. So I’ve got a busy winter, but an enjoyable winter. The first month in Tampa in Florida we’re at a big sports complex where all different sports people go for general fitness. I’ve spoken to some of the lads who went last year and they say it’s very hard; we’ll be doing four or five gym sessions a day nearly seven days a week – but hopefully I’ll come back fitter and reap the rewards.

“We go up to Loughborough on the 4th of January and then we start bowling, progressing every day until we get to Chennai. Then it’s two weeks of nets. I don’t think there’s any games, but even so it should be good. The main bowling coach is Neil Killeen from Durham – we’re not going to see Kevin Shine that much because he’ll be with the Lions.”

Not having been a first team pick from the beginning of the season, nevertheless David quietly amassed 32 First Class wickets. “Obviously Chris [Tremlett] got injured which was not good for him, but Chalky and Dimi sat me down and said I would get an opportunity and to be ready to take it. Hopefully I’ve shown them that I can perform in the First Team, both in four day and one day cricket, and put a case forward to start next year. It was a good position to be in, to be left out of the one day side; for Chalky to come to me and say they were resting me because I was so important for the four day stuff... It was very good.

“I’d rather play in a four day game over a Twenty20 because I feel it’s the more traditional game of cricket. In Twenty20 one or two people can change a game where in four day cricket it takes maybe five or six, because it’s such a long period of time. It has to be a team effort. Obviously it’s nice playing in front of big crowds with the atmosphere, but cricket-wise I’d rather play in the Championship.

“I enjoyed being around the First Team and hopefully it will continue next year. Knowing you’re going to play when you turn up at the ground gives you confidence – you don’t have to worry about anything except where you’re going to bowl the ball. It allows you to relax, and when people are relaxed it’s when they perform their best.”

With his out and out pace, Griff is a different sort of bowler to most of his teammates. “Both Tommo and Corky swing it, and there’s Dimi who bowls good areas but he’s not the quickest – he keeps bowling maidens and gets wickets that way. Then me and Chris are the quicker bowlers who want to, well, not try to scare the batsmen, but come in and attack them and be the strike bowlers. We maybe go for a few more runs than the other lads but by doing that we’re likely to get wickets.”

As well as taking part in the England Programme, Griff, who is a Level 2 coach, is spending some of the winter coaching at The Rose Bowl. “I’m doing ProCoach on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for the youngsters, Academy on Thursday night, and one-to-ones around that. And then my own life outside that... only I haven’t really got one at the minute!” he laughs. “I’m coaching all day every day, then I try to get in the gym for a couple of hours each morning because I need to keep that going; I can’t go to Tampa not having done anything.

“I’m doing the Great South Run for the Autistic Society on Sunday so I’ll need to do a bit of road running tomorrow and Saturday to try and get some miles in my legs! A few of the office staff here are doing it too and I haven’t done any training for it – unless you count the fitness tests I had to do at Loughborough. Any time under one hour 30 for the ten miles I’d be pleased with, but one hour 40’s probably more like it because I haven’t done anything like this before but I really do want to raise some money for the charity.”

In the end Griff completed the race in one hour 22 minutes and it says a great deal about him that he didn’t let this further call on his time fall by the wayside, given his professional commitments. But then that’s him all over; you don’t have to speak to very many people around The Rose Bowl before you find someone with a story about something nice Griff has done for them. And for my money he’s pretty courageous too; fighting back from the stress fracture of the back he suffered with England Under 19s, to quietly but determinedly put himself back into the England frame with just 24 First XI games under his belt.

This is an important winter for David Griffiths, and the thoughts of the Hampshire faithful will be with him all the way.
 

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