Club: Wellington Collegians

Wellington Firebirds debut: v Northern Knights, 2009-10 (first-class)

Best bat: 97 v Northern Knights 2009-10 (first-class)

Wicket-keeper batsman Joe Austin-Smellie burst on to the domestic first-class scene in November 2009 by scoring a second innings 97 in a 129-run partnership with Luke Woodcock to help set up a memorable victory over the Northern Knights in Hamilton.

Austin-Smellie went on to play two more Plunket Shield games and a domestic One-Dayer in his rookie summer. As a Firebirds contracted player for the first time, he played in nine of 10 first-class matches. His six catches in the first innings in the opening four-dayer of the season against the Central Stags in Napier equalled the most in an innings by any player in 2010/11.

Austin-Smellie, fought back from separate knee and shoulder injuries to reach this level. The more serious of the two was his medial ligament and posterior cruciate ligament that he blew out playing First XV rugby for Wellington College in his final year at school at 2007.

JOE AUSTIN-SMELLIE

Playing style: Wicket-keeper batsman

Nickname: Abbo, Gabriel, Joey, Smells

Secondary school attended: Wellington College

Club: Wellington Collegians

Earliest cricket memory: Playing for the Karori ‘Ducks’ in nursery grade

Favourite ground to play cricket on: The Hawkins Basin Reserve

Most memorable cricket moment: Making my first-class debut

If I could bat/bowl in partnership with any cricketer from any era I would chose: Will Ferrell, who used to play in the late 1970s. For the in-between over chats

Favourite player growing up: Adam Gilchrist – good to watch

The non-cricketing sports person or team I most admire: Derrick Rose, Michael Jordan, Arnold Schwarzenegger

If I wasn’t a Firebirds cricketer I’d be: Training athletes or an entrepreneur

Favourite superhero: Peter Griffin – capable of anything

Favourite book/magazine:   Good Housekeeping

Favourite holiday destination: Mahia

If I was in a band I would play the: Lead Guitar

In my spare time I like to: Follow the NBA, go to the beach, mong with the boys, and build bodies

Most people don’t know that I: Used to own a paper shop until it blew away

My signature dish is: Stir Fry