A TOP Cumbrian cricketer is chancing his arm Down Under.

Netherfield's teenage star, Brad Earl, is currently in Melbourne representing St Barnabus Cricket Club where he is trying to put the locals in a spin.

Brad, a slow left arm bowler, is now three weeks into his season and the Gazette caught up with him to discover how he was getting on on the other side of the world.

The format of matches is different in Australia - they play a mixture of two day matches spread over two Saturdays, one day games and Twenty20 matches.

So far, Brad has played two one day games and one two day game and he has started brightly.

"Personally, I have had a reasonable start," said Brad.

"I have taken a wicket in each game and generally bowled pretty well."

Despite not troubling the scorers in his first innings, Brad has turned his fortunes around and notched up a couple of promising totals.

Scores of 33 and 39 in his last two innings are a positive sign of things to come.

Brad said: "It was nice to spend some time out in the middle in those innings but it was disappointing not to convert good starts into a big score."

The former Cumbria youth cricketer has had to adjust to a very different set of conditions than he is used to at the Parkfield Road ground.

Hotter temperatures, less rain and harder wickets often mean slow bowlers have to learn a completely different style of bowling.

"I did struggle with the conditions and white ball in my last game," said Brad.

"The wickets are harder and therefore more cracked so batting is tougher in the second innings. The wickets have been a bit quicker but the bounce is the main thing that is different. I've realised I have to bowl a lot fuller than in England. "

Melbourne is Australia's cricketing capital and Melbourne Stars team is one of the best Twenty20 outfits in the world.

Brad has made such a good impression in his first few weeks Down Under, averaging 24 with the bat and 22 with the ball, that he has been asked to be a net bowler for the professional side, whose players include the likes of Kevin Pietersen and 'the million dollar man', Glenn Maxwell.

But Brad is relishing the challenge and fancies his chances.

He said: "The Melbourne Stars team includes plenty of international stars so I'm really looking forward to that.

"I'll just be throwing it up to KP and try and pick up a few scalps.

"He's struggled against left arm spin in the past so I might have a bit of luck.

"Reckon I'll struggle to hold back a grin if I picked up him or Maxwell even though it's just in the nets.

"I managed to have Aaron Finch out the first time I did it for Victoria last week which I was pretty pleased about!"