Club: Eastern Suburbs
Wellington Firebirds debut: v Otago Volts 1999-00 (first-class)
Best bowl: 6 for 32 v Otago Volts 2004-05 (first-class)
Wily off-spinner Jeetan Patel is a true Firebirds stalwart. International commitments withstanding, the BLACKCAPS spinner always gives it his all when he returns to provincial colours for Wellington and captained the Firebirds in several matches in 2010-11 in the absence of season skipper Grant Elliott.
Patel first played for Wellington in 1999-00, bowling 59 overs and taking 5 for 145 against Auckland on his debut and taking 16 wickets in all in his rookie season.
He has since provided sterling service, often complementing the Firebirds’ successful seamers, and he reached the career milestone of 200 first class wickets whilst playing for New Zealand A against Zimbabwe A in October 2010.
He was earmarked as a promising player early in his career. He played age group cricket in Wellington at U15, under 17, and under 19 levels, and made his full New Zealand debut in August 2005.
Patel missed out on a New Zealand Contract in 2011-12, but was selected for the BLACKCAPS Test squad to play Zimbabwe in November 2011. This came after a stint in the winter playing for Warwickshire that saw him take his snare his maiden first-class 10-wicket bag - 10 for 163 against Sussex. In 2009 while also playing for Warwickshire he scored his maiden first-class century, 120 versus Yorkshire.
At the start of the 2011-12 season, Patel had taken 419 wickets in all three forms of the game, in 103 first-class, 113 One-Day and 65 Twenty20 matches.
JEETAN PATEL
Playing style:
Off spin bowler
Nickname:
Dave
Secondary school attended:
Rongotai College
Club:
Eastern Suburbs
Earliest cricket memory:
Playing cricket with my dad in the backyard
Favourite ground to play cricket on:
The Hawkins Basin Reserve
Most memorable cricket moment:
Making my Test debut against South Africa
If I could bat/bowl in partnership with any cricketer from any era I would chose:
Richie Benaud, because he takes debutants under his wing
Favourite player growing up:
Sir Richard Hadlee, because he’s a legend
The non-cricketing sports person or team I most admire:
Tiger Woods
If I wasn’t a Firebirds cricketer I’d be:
A dairy owner
Favourite superhero:
Batman – because he wears black
Favourite book/magazine:
GQ Magazine
Favourite holiday destination:
New York City
If I was in a band I would play the:
Bongos
In my spare time I like to:
Play golf
Most people don’t know that I
: Grow a good beard
My signature dish is:
Chicken curry