Nash dancing his way to test fitness
From the Waikato Times, September 3, 1997 (NZPA)

Former New Zealand cricketer Dion Nash has adopted a fitness routine principally designed for ballet dancers in a bid to resurrect his international career.

The 25-year-old fast-medium bowler has not played for his country since he suffered ligament damage in his lower back almost 18 months ago in the West Indies.

The injury prevented Nash from playing in the two tests in the Caribbean; cost him the second year of a two-year county contract with Middlesex in England, and placed his international future in jeopardy.

However, Nash now harbours ambitions of resuming his career at the highest level, with his confidence buoyed after discovering pilates, a balance-orientated training routine used by ballet dancers.

"Ballet dancers have used it in training for about eight years although I think it is quite new to New Zealand," Nash said in Auckland yesterday. "It helps your abdominal muscles and lengthens and strengthens your spine.

"I've been doing it in two-hour sessions four times a week for the past five months. For back injuries, it is easily the best thing I've done."

Nash made a handful of appearances for Northern Districts last summer as a specialist lower-middle order batsman but he is now confident of taking his place in the side as a genuine allrounder during the coming season's Shell Trophy and Shell Cup competitions.

"It's definitely my plan to bowl again. I fully intend to be bowling for Northern Districts this season.

"There's no point in not being confident. I want to get back playing, that's the most important thing in my life."

With the help of former Auckland coach John Bracewell, Nash has also been refining his bowling action. He is now placing a lot of emphasis on retaining his balance throughout the delivery stride.

"I'm bowling at half pace at the moment and sorting out the action."

He is to attend a bowling clinic at the New Zealand Cricket Academy in Christchurch next week.

Nash is also desperate to resume playing for New Zealand.

"To be honest, the international level is the only level I can see myself being happy playing at.

"I'm pretty fired up to get back and get amongst it."

A fully fit Nash would be a welcome sight for the national selectors.

The New Zealand team left for their tour of Kenya and Zimbabwe this week without frontline pace bowlers Simon Doull, Geoff Allott and Andrew Penn, who were all forced to cry off because of injury.

In his 14 tests, Nash strongly hinted at a bright future by taking 44 wickets at an average of 29.70 and scoring one half-century.

[Articles]