PERCEPTIONS of flying abroad in the off season are generally based around getting a tan, exploring hipster coffee shops and riding motorcycles... and it’s actually surprisingly close to the truth, or is that just me?

All jokes aside, any opportunity to follow the sun and play the sport I love in a completely different culture has always excited me and has left me feeling very fortunate.

This winter was no exception as I got to spend it in Wellington, New Zealand. Through the ECB scholarship programme, I was able to develop my game further by working with Jeetan Patel and the Wellington Firebirds.

With my return flights pre-booked to get back at the end of February, I was kindly greeted by the ‘Beast from the East’ which brought the UK to a standstill. Although it halted training for a couple of days, it was nice to use that time to catch up with friends and family to reminisce over my last five months.

As much as the indoor facilities in Cardiff provide any cricketer with the chance to work on important aspects of their game, I believe nothing prepares you better for the season than practising on turf wickets. After a short time back in Cardiff, we headed off to Dubai for a ten day pre-season camp at the ICC Cricket Academy.

The facilities were first class! The nets had soil from all over the world so we could switch between the fast wickets of the WACA, dusty wickets from Mumbai and the green seamers that we are more acclimatised to in the UK.

These ten days provided us with the chance to spend some time together as a squad to go over season goals, tactics and values. Alongside training we played three matches, winning two one-day games against Surrey and drawing a two-day fixture against Lancashire.

I was happy with my contributions overall with one highlight scoring 49 opening the batting in the two-day game. However, it wasn’t ideal getting caught deep mid-wicket with a shot that I played many times for St. Ishmaels, but I told my Dad I was LBW so hopefully he doesn’t read the article.

One of my personal highlights of the trip was a three-hour yacht journey around the extraordinary marina, where we all ‘enjoyed’ each other’s company and displayed some diving into the ocean John Smith would’ve been proud of.

Most of the lads chose a round of golf for our day off, but with a slightly heavy green fee and my ability to endanger people on other holes, I thought I’d better find another activity.

I hired a Harley Davidson (1200cc Roadster) for a day to see more of Dubai and more specifically to find some dunes, a topic which Aneurin Donald still finds funny, but I’ve never had the opportunity before. With a couple of wrong turns and some helpful guidance from some locals I found the desert after riding on some beautiful roads. I’ve been warned not to go on about my motorcycling obsession too much, as it’s starting to put many of the boys to sleep, but if you wish to follow any of my gasoline-fuelled exploits off the field please check out my new website ​www.baffleculture.com​.

The season is just around the corner and there is plenty of excitement within the squad to get going and really hit the ground running. With Timm (Van Der Gugten) and Marchant ‘rockets’ De Lange back in Cardiff and with the imminent arrival of Shaun Marsh, it should be an exciting start to the season. As a squad we have high expectations and really want to nail the processes to get us into winning positions more regularly in the longer format.

I feel it’s a big season for myself as I strive to achieve one more step up the ladder and make the England Lions squad. If I’m able to contribute with both bat and ball in the key moments throughout the year, as I’ve always strived to do, then I should be in a good place.

The season kicks off on ​20th April​ against Gloucestershire in Bristol, with our first home game on ​May 4th​ against Kent, for anyone who wishes to show their support!

Many thanks to the Western Telegraph for the opportunity to provide some insights throughout the season into the life of a Glamorgan cricketer, I’m looking forward to flying the Pembrokeshire flag to the best of my ability!