2 Feb 2016 | Cricket
New Signing Craig Meschede is now training full time with the Glamorgan players based in the UK as preparations for the new season continue to step up.
Craig Meschede scored his maiden first-class century and was an almost ever present for Glamorgan last season missing just one day of play in all formats as the club's seam bowling resources were tested to their limit. Now he is back in Cardiff and targeting further success with the Welsh county as well as forcing his way into international squad programmes.
Towards the end of last season I was quite tired so my mindset this year is going to be stronger this time and I know what to expect, so I can be a little more consistent in the second half of the season, said Craig.
If I can get a couple hundreds on the board and take some more wickets then I definitely think I can be in the line-up for England Lions or the Performance Programme selection at the end of the year.
Fresh from a sprints session at Cardiff Met's Cyncoed Campus, Meschede explained the decision to move to Glamorgan permanently after last year's successful season on loan.
It was a difficult decision having been at Somerset for 8 years and having been away from home in South Africa, they became close to my heart and so it was a difficult decision to make
I had another year left with Somerset so ultimately it was up to them with regards what decision I could make and obviously I had a good season here last summer so I just wanted to do what was best for my cricket.
I was comfortable there (at Somerset) with a good support network, but one of the things that swung it was playing outside of my comfort zone last season on loan at Glamorgan. I loved being in a different environment and being in Cardiff, settling down nicely with the boys and ultimately the amount of cricket I was going to play affected the decision.
It was a good learning curve last year with a lot of cricket so hopefully I can be fit enough to get on the park as much as I did last year.
With Glamorgan's squad bolstered by the arrival of Meschede and other players currently overseas in Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Dubai, due to return in the coming weeks pre-season will be given a further boost with news Glamorgan will be going on tour next month for the first time since 2012. A trip Craig is keen to benefit from.
I believe we're going to Dessert Springs in Spain and it will be my first time there, so I don't know too much about the facilities but I understand they are very good so I'm very looking forward to it.