Kirby on the rise

Steve Kirby is upbeat about the new domestic season, for which he is in excellent form

If Steve Kirby was a shock call-up to the England Lions tour of India this winter, no-one was as surprised as the man himself.

The paceman, drafted in after Kabir Ali was ruled out due to injury, acquitted himself well, earning himself a place in the MCC squad for the season opener against Sussex.

And Kirby intends to use the experience to good effect for Gloucestershire as the domestic season picks up pace.

“I got a call-up just after Christmas for the England Lions trip, which was a shock - but a very pleasant shock,” he told ecb.co.uk.

“It was something I really, really enjoyed and a wonderful challenge.”

Kirby was seen by many as a future England prospect after he won the championship with Yorkshire in 2001 and was rewarded with a place at the then National Academy that winter.

Although his name has not featured much in England discussions since, his goal remains the same.

“I'd been there a few years previously, but obviously with playing county cricket for so long you are not quite sure where your next chance to get involved with the England set-up is,” he admitted.

Kirby is felled by Luke Wright on the second day of the MCC game at Lord's © Getty Images

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“It is a massive dream to play for England and to get another opportunity was wonderful and I certainly wasn’t going to let it go.

“More than anything what I took from it (tour of India) was playing in those conditions and never giving up.

“They are very attritional over there and they try to wear you down. They do everything for longer. They bat for longer and they bowl to their plans for longer.

“It was a great challenge on that front, playing in adverse conditions.”

They were certainly somewhat different to the cold and blustery weather Kirby experienced on his return to Bristol, though he made an immediate impression with the ball in the traditional season curtain-raiser.

Kirby took 4-39 in the first innings against county champions Sussex at Lord's but was felled by Luke Wright whilst batting and took no further part in the match.

However, he returned to action for Gloucestershire against Derbyshire in the first round of the LV County Championship, claiming 4-59.

He claims his overall fitness is better than it has ever been, which he puts down to the impact of a full-time fitness coach at Bristol.

“Chris Bodman is absolutely second to none,” Kirby said. “He is probably the best I have ever dealt with, to be honest.

Kirby claimed four wickets against Sussex in the domestic curtain-raiser © Getty Images

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“Because guys are now on 12-month deals he can be involved with them all year. It’s a lot more professional.

“You can break things down instead of trying to rush it all in a two-month period before the season. We are now taking it over a five- or six-month period.”

It is not only the fitness where Gloucestershire are aiming to improve, with Jack Russell’s introduction as team strategist giving the squad plenty to think about.

“He has been really, really helpful for me personally,” Kirby said. “He was the ultimate professional when he played - very hard and very fair in what he did.

“He has basically been helping us out with our preparation, getting us mentally prepared for the season. He is very good tactically and I have enjoyed his company.

“He does bring a hell of a lot - you can’t really put it into words, to be honest.”

Fielding is an area on which few clubs seem to concentrate, but Gloucestershire are determined to make the most of their assets.

Kirby added: “We’ve got a situation where Chris Taylor is one of the best fielders in the country, arguably, and he has taken over our fielding coaching role.

“He has had me rolling around and diving around everywhere.

“We are all strong and fit and raring to go. It’s just about us now getting on the pitch.”