The S&B skipper returned from Australia only last week and he feels he has benefitted from being at a club where he had no off-field responsibilities to discharge.
“It was something completely different to what I’d normally be doing in our winter and I enjoyed it very much,” said Firth. “Tasmania is an unbelievable place and I’m just pleased I took the chance to see it.
“The standard of cricket was about that of the Liverpool Competition’s First Division but there were some very good players who’d acquit themselves well in the Premier League.
“I’ve not really paid too much attention to what’s been going on at S&B while I’ve been away and that’s been excellent to be honest. It’s been really good to have a break.”
Despite having played plenty of cricket recently, Firth will be playing a full part in tomorrow’s inter-club friendly at Trafalgar Road and he will also be turning out in Sunday’s final practice match against Northern.
“Pretty much everyone will be playing on Saturday and we may therefore be struggling to get a particularly strong side out against Northern,” he said. “Josh Bohannon and Chris Brownlow are both playing for the Lancashire Federation and Saturday will be the more important day for me in getting an idea of the players’ form.
“Everyone should be available for the knockout game at Wigan on April 18.”
Meanwhile, across town, Fleetwood Hesketh have chosen not to play any warm-up matches prior to next Saturday’s league knockout game against Colwyn Bay at Sea Cop.
New skipper Derek Sykes has opted instead for intensive practice sessions with a squad that shows one arrival and one departure from last year. All-rounder Kyle Marshall has left to join Ainsdale but Marshside officials remain quietly confident about the impact highly-rated Australian cricketer Harry Nichols may have on the Competition’s second tier.
Nichols, a top-order batsman who plays South Hobart Sandy Bay CC in Tasmania, arrives on April 23, two days before Fleetwood Hesketh’s first league match at home to Maghull.
