Ex-Bull in search of a fresh start

FORMER Gold Coast Dolphins batsman Nick Stevens says thoughts of a Queensland recall haven’t crossed his mind as he embarks on a new phase of Queensland Premier Cricket with Valleys.

After 10 years with the Dolphins, the 24-year-old batsman and former Australian under-19s star has joined the Diehards in search of a “fresh start and something different”.

He has been dismissed just once en route to a total of 100 runs in four innings for his new club and will resume on 12 in Valleys’ (2-89) pursuit of the Dolphins’ 229 in their battle at Ashgrove on Saturday.

Stevens, who still lives at Ormeau and works as an assistant coach at Helensvale Pacific Pines, played the last of his six first-class games for Queensland in 2015 but said his club switch wasn’t motivated by a desire to return to higher honours.

“It was just a bit of a change, that’s all there was to it. It was definitely hard to (leave the Dolphins),” said Stevens, who has a first-class average of 29.

Stevens announced his arrival as a long-term Sheffield Shield player with a knock of 158 against South Australia in late 2014 but injuries have limited his playing time since.