Mullaney's Aussie stint ends with bad break

9:31pm Monday 4th February 2008

Lancashire youngster Steven Mullaney has been forced to cut his spell in Australian grade cricket short after breaking a thumb while fielding.

The 21-year-old all-rounder is now back in England, expecting to be fit in time for the start of the new county season in April.

And that also means that he will be ready for the beginning of the Bolton Association campaign, which he will begin as professional at Atherton.

"I was fielding at extra cover when I slid for a ball that was hit to mid-off" he explained of the accident while playing for Melbourne side McKinnon.

"I had it covered, but it just took a bad bounce and hit me right on the end of the thumb.

"I wasn't totally sure whether I had broken it, but it felt a bit loose. It swelled up straight away and even though I tried to bat with it later on, I ended up batting one-handed.

"I went to hospital the next day - and they confirmed it was broken. Winker (Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson) told me to get home as soon as."

The former Golborne and Northern club player admitted that he was "frustrated" to curtail another solid season in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association. After all he had impressed for a second winter running with both bat and ball.

Now he is back in the gym working on his fitness while he waits for his injury to fully heal.

"I will probably be in a similar situation to how I started last season - in the seconds," he continued. "But it is up to me prove what I can do.

"I have to work hard and back myself to change any game from any situation with bat or ball.

"I want to be able to go on and turn starts of 60 and 70 into big hundreds with the bat. I also want to be able to give Stuart (Law) another option with the ball."

Leigh based Mullaney says that it will be a little bit "weird" when he begins his Atherton career, because he played his first game of cricket in the Bolton Association when he was just six years old.

"It is going to be a challenge for me. I left Northern on very good terms with the idea of challenging myself. It will be interesting to see how I go," he added.

Olympic silver medal for Jason