Scotland international Mark Watt is relishing the opportunity to impress for Derbyshire after joining the club on a six-month contract for the 2019 season.
The left-arm spinner performed well for his country last summer, when he took 3-55 as Scotland beat England in a One-Day International for the first time, in front of a packed crowd in Edinburgh.
Watt’s performances led to him joining Lancashire in August, appearing in four matches as the county reached Vitality Blast Finals Day, but he is now looking forward his first full summer on the county circuit.
“I’m absolutely delighted, it has taken a while to get the deal sorted but I’m just happy to be here now,” said Watt.
“I’m really looking forward to getting the season started to play for Derbyshire and do well for the club.
“The coaches have been brilliant with me so far. I have been living with Kirbs [Steve Kirby], he’s a great guy and really down to earth so it has helped me to settle in.
“Houghts has absolutely brilliant as well so I’m really looking forward to working under them to learn and improve my game in every aspect.
“I want to break into the first team and when I get the opportunity, I want to grab it with both hands and do well for the team.
“I want to push us towards Finals Day in the Vitality Blast and win some silverware and be a part of that winning team.
“I think I’ll be able to bring a few wickets throughout the power play and steady the ship in the middle overs.
“I want to use my strengths which is bowling economically, I’m not a massive turner of the ball but I can vary the pace to mix it up as much as possible.
“I think white-ball cricket definitely suits my bowling style but I’m here to learn and I want to take everything in so that if I get an opportunity in the red-ball, I will take it with both hands.
“There are some great spinners here already who I’m learning from so I’ll be trying to chew their ear off about county cricket throughout the season.
Despite being only 22-years-old, Watt has already racked up over 50 international appearances for Scotland, taking 51 wickets across both limited overs formats.
He is now hoping to use his international experience to help him at Derbyshire, and he hailed his former coach Grant Bradburn for kick-starting Watt’s career.
“Grant put a lot of faith in me when he started coaching with Scotland and he backed me all the way.
“He was here last year at Derbyshire and he spoke very highly of his time at the club.
“I think that it has worked really well for me because I’ve gained a lot of confidence from playing with Scotland.
“I’ve been able to play against some great international sides and I think that is only going to help me at Derbyshire if I can use that experience.
“Being able to play with experienced players like Calum MacLeod and Kyle Coetzer has helped me and it will stand me in good stead for the county season.
“This is where I want to be, I want to be playing cricket in England and helping Scotland as well so the more I play in England, the better I’m going to get.
“I think everybody’s winning, but most of all me, being able to play with these players and in front of big crowds is only going to help me in the future.”
Vitality Blast is back! Derbyshire Falcons host seven Twenty20 games this summer. Purchase your tickets in advance and save. Buy online or call 01332 388 101.
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