COUNTY CRICKET

Had always wanted to come to county cricket: Dane Vilas

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Vilas had played only six Tests and one T20I before signing a kolpak deal.
Vilas had played only six Tests and one T20I before signing a kolpak deal. © Getty

Mention the term Kolpak to followers of English cricket and you are likely to find a great divide of opinion. It is, in cricketing circles at least, an emotive subject. Depending on your view, these players, who do not qualify for England but play in county cricket as non-overseas players, either strengthen the quality of the domestic game in England or take up spots which should be filled by young English players.

There has been a rise in the number of Kolpak players this year, so-called after the Slovakian handball player Maros Kolpak. He won a ruling in 2003 which meant people from certain countries outside the European Union (EU) were permitted to work in EU countries with the same rights as EU citizens. As such, cricketers from countries such as South Africa and those in the Caribbean can play in county cricket as non-overseas players and around 25 have taken the opportunity this season.

Why the sudden influx? The current strength of the pound against the South African rand means players can earn up to three times more in county cricket than, say, in South Africa's domestic competition. In addition, with Britain's exit from the EU looming, the opportunity to use the EU ruling may not be available for much longer and the spectre of quotas in South African domestic competition may also be having an effect.

The increase has provoked plenty of debate within the county shires. David Leatherdale, the Chief Executive of the PCA, told Cricbuzz in January that it was "hugely disappointing that some counties have felt the need to sign players as Kolpaks instead of producing home-grown players themselves." The other side of the argument is that with eighteen counties there is room enough for a small number of Kolpak players who should increase the strength of the competition and allow homegrown cricketers to learn from them.

That is, of course, if the players coming over are of sufficient quality and in Dane Vilas' case, there is no doubting that Lancashire have signed a player of proven class. The 31-year-old wicket-keeper batsman, who has signed a two-year deal, is an experienced player, averages a tick under 40 in first-class cricket and has a fine one-day record with a strike rate of 96.95. He is, many argue, exactly the type of cricketer that will improve the standard of the county game.

Vilas is also keenly aware of his responsibilities as a Kolpak player. "You know that you've got to do two strings," he tells Cricbuzz. "You've got to come in and play your best cricket but also to use your experience. I don't have as much international experience compared to Shiv [Chanderpaul - also at Lancashire on a Kolpak contract] but it's about any knowledge that I can pass on to some of the younger guys."

Lancashire have a raft of young, homegrown talent but coach Glenn Chapple realised they needed more experience to guide the likes of Haseeb Hameed and Liam Livingstone. That is where Vilas comes in. "Someone like Alex Davies, who I think is going to be a real good player for England in the future as a wicket-keeper batsman, any knowledge I can pass on to him and help further his career, I'm happy to do," he says.

"I don't think I've passed on so much yet. I'm new to the system and I don't want to impose hugely at the moment but hopefully in the years to come I can add some value on that side." Vilas has agreed with the county's coaching staff that Davies, just 22 and a former England Under-19 international, will keep wicket so that his development is not hindered by the South African's presence.

While Davies is working towards his international ambitions, Vilas has given up on his own after just six Tests and a solitary T20 International. When agreeing to a Kolpak deal, players cannot then play for their national team. "The stage I am at in my career and my life, I wasn't going to play a lot of international cricket for South Africa considering how well Quinton de Kock is doing," he says. "To get in as a batter was also going to be really tough. No matter how many runs I scored, you're not really going to get past Faf [du Plessis], AB [de Villiers] and Hashim [Amla].

"I had an opportunity to play for Lancashire. I had always wanted to come to county cricket and test myself over here in English conditions. Another factor was that my wife has family over here. For her to come and spend some time with the family would be great. She gives up a lot of her time and has had to make a lot of sacrifices so to help her was also nice."

It was not an easy decision to make. "We all grow up as kids first wanting to play cricket and love cricket. You grow up wanting to play for the Proteas and be part of that and you want to play at the highest level you can. Fortunately I had a brief taste of it. I didn't get as much as I would have liked but I just felt I had to be realistic.

"Then to come and play for a club like Lancashire, which I always hear is one of the biggest clubs in England, is also like a dream really having been close with guys who have come over and played county cricket like Neil McKenzie. I grew up with Jimmy Cook and he was a legend at Somerset. You strive to be like those guys and play at a good level."

Vilas' six Tests yielded just 94 runs although he was unfortunate on two counts. His first Test against Bangladesh was washed out after the first day and his next four were in India on treacherous pitches. "We went to India where it was unbelievably difficult. It was a real test for everyone who was involved in that trip. Not just the South African team but the Indian players too. The batsmen in that series, I think all of them would write that one off down to experience."

Only one batsman on either side averaged over 40 in that 2015 series and Vilas was unable to show his true worth with the bat making a top score of just 15. "I was very disappointed because you obviously want to do as well as you can, you want to contribute," he says. "It was tough but look, it was something that I earned. I'm very proud to say that I've done it and I wouldn't change it for the world."

His only other appearance came against England last year when called up on the morning of the third Test in Johannesburg for de Kock who had injured himself walking his dog. "I felt like I could have played a little bit more but at that time, Quinton de Kock was smashing down the door. Unfortunately, I just fell by the wayside. It was a difficult one but it's probably proved the right decision the way it's gone."

After an unspectacular start with the bat for Lancashire - he concedes that conditions have been "difficult" and there has been "a bit of an adjustment" - Vilas scored two hundreds and two half-centuries in eight innings during Lancashire's Royal London One-Day Cup [RLODC] campaign. He has been "very happy" with his form in recent weeks even if he admits he is still looking for a big score in the Championship.

Despite Vilas' runs and winning four of their last five games, Lancashire failed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the RLODC by one point and in the Championship, it has been no more than a solid start with one win and three draws. "We've played some outstanding cricket [in their first-class games]," Vilas says. "We were in a position where we should have won at least one of those draws. We've got a really strong team and I think we've got as good a chance as anyone to do well in the four-day stuff."

From what he saw in the RLODC, Vilas is also confident Lancashire can do well in the NatWest T20 Blast but it has been the standard of cricket on show in the Championship which has most impressed him so far. "I've been very impressed with the standard here. I think all the Division One teams are really quality teams and there are no real easy games. That's nice because it tests you as a player and slightly different to back home."

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