Big Interview: T20 star Colin De Grandhomme is having a Blast around the globe

From establishing himself as a New Zealand international, to making waves in the Indian Premier League, it has been a journey of discovery in every respect for a player who openly admits that, not so long ago, he considered quitting the sport for good.

Now, for the second summer running, it has brought him to England, the West Midlands and the Birmingham Bears, the team he helped take last year to within a whisker of winning the Twenty20 Blast.

Little wonder De Grandhomme is smiling.

“It’s good to be back,” he says, standing on the outfield at a sun-drenched Edgbaston. “This was a special team last year. To have all the guys back to together again, it’s exciting.”

De Grandhomme is not a man of many words but when you can hit a cricket ball like he can, they aren’t really necessary.

In any case, there is something rather endearing about the shyness of a big, powerful man who, when he first set foot in Birmingham 12 months ago, did so boasting a T20 strike rate of 171, at the time the highest in world cricket.

His big-hitting reputation remained intact during a season where his fearless approach and ability to frequently clear the boundary regularly wowed spectators.

I remind him of one particular six, during last year’s final, which flew into the Skyline terrace at the top of Edgbaston’s main stand. It was the type of shot which, before that end of the ground was redeveloped a decade ago, would have given serious concern to the geese in Cannon Hill Park.

“It’s always nice to get one out the middle of the bat,” is De Grandhomme’s ever succinct analysis.

Hitting it out of the middle has rarely been a problem of late. In December, he hit the fastest-ever maiden Test century – and the second quickest-ever by a New Zealand batsman – when he blasted his way to three figures in just 71 balls against the West Indies.

But while it is undoubtedly with the bat De Grandhomme has made the biggest headlines, he is also pretty handy with the ball too.

After all, it was a return of 6-41 against Pakistan during his Test debut in November 2016 which represented the true breakthrough for a player long tipped for stardom.

De Grandhomme’s battle to the top has been an unusual one, though there has never been any doubting his pedigree. In 2004, the Harare-native was part of the Zimbabwe team that stunned Australia at the under-19 World Cup.

After leaving school, he was approached by a scout and persuaded to move to New Zealand, eventually qualifying to play for the Black Caps through residency.

Some big showings for Auckland means international honours but after making his T20 debut for New Zealand in 2012, ironically enough against Zimbabwe, only a handful of ODI appearances followed before De Grandhomme fell out of the reckoning. The problem, he acknowledges now, was mentality. As is the case with most sporting careers struggling to reach top potential, a moment of reckoning arrived.

“At one point, I was close to giving up,” he says. “I had a bit of an injury one season. Missed half of it. That was tough, having the lay-off.

“It was a case of either run away or come back better. Thankfully, it was the latter.

“After the break, I found I had the hunger back.”

He continued: “People say this is a case of the hard work does paying off over time.

“But I suppose, if you put the hard work in earlier, you get the rewards earlier.

“In the early days, I probably didn’t put as much in as I should. Now I’m older, a bit wiser, I realise I need to put in the hard yards.

“It’s been very enjoyable, the last couple of years. I have gone to places I didn’t think I would go to. Playing for New Zealand, going to the IPL, things like that, coming here (to Birmingham). Hopefully I can keep it going as long as I can.”

Grant Elliott, the skipper of the Birmingham Bears and a fellow New Zealand international, has claimed the secret to cricket is practicing like you care a lot but playing like you don’t care at all.

In many ways he could be describing De Grandhomme. No matter the circumstances or game situation, the 31-year-old exudes an air of calm when he walks out to the middle.

Everyone knows what is coming next. Though his T20 strike rate now stands at 167, a little lower than last year, it is still the second highest in world cricket.

“I have always been more aggressive, personally. I like to score. I think it is more natural for me to be like that,” he says. “My strike rate? It’s not too bad. Walking into some of the situations you find yourself in, down the order, it sort of makes you play that way. It’s sometimes just how it goes.”

De Grandhomme’s high-risk, high-reward strategy does not always pay dividends. When it does, the results can often be breathtaking, as witnessed by his blistering 39 in 22 balls which helped the Bears chase down 205 to beat Surrey at The Oval in last season’s quarter-final.

The result was very much the highlight of what was, on the whole, a very difficult 2017 at Edgbaston, in which the T20 campaign was the only saviour.

Both De Grandhomme and Elliott, through their attitude and approach, helped lift the dressing room. The Bears wasted little time in ensuring both would be back this year, much to the delight of fans, for whom De Grandhomme, unsurprisingly, became a firm favourite.

A popular chant, a play on his name which makes reference to the ‘grand’ size of his house, could be heard every time he came out to bat.

“It’s nice people recognise you and try and get you going,” he said. “But at the same time you have to concentrate on the simple things like watching the ball.

“You do hear it but you have to stay focused in the moment. I just try to do my job as best I can.

“It is not always easy to block things out. Sometimes the wickets are tough and you have to adapt. Generally, in T20, it pays to try and be aggressive.”

The Bears got their campaign off to the perfect start on Wednesday night with an eight-wicket win against Nottinghamshire, the team who pipped them in last year’s final.

De Grandhomme did not get to bat but showed his all-round ability with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 2-24 from four overs.

“There is definitely a lot of power in this team,” he said. “On good wickets we should do well. I’m definitely happy to come back.

“I enjoyed my time here last year and I expect to enjoy it this year too.

“Particularly with the depth of the squad we have this year. We can hopefully get as close as we did last year, or even go that one step further.”