Laurie Evans: David Payne will be a weapon for Perth Scorchers in back end of Big Bash League season

It is so good to have David Payne back with the Scorchers — and from personal experience, I can tell you he is going to be a nightmare for batters in the back-end of this season. Payney was great with the ball in our match against the Renegades on Wednesday night. While that wasn’t the type of Optus Stadium wicket we’ve gotten used to over a long period of time, it suited him down to the ground. Back at home he plays for Gloucestershire at Bristol and their ground is renowned for being a tricky place to bat, so he’s used to bowling on wickets that require lots of change-ups. That will transfer well when we play on some flatter wickets and will complement our bowling attack nicely. He’s got an outstanding record in Twenty20 cricket and he has evolved his game as he’s got older. He was spoken about for many years as an option for England because he bowled decent pace and a heavy ball and while he could still do that if he needed to, he has turned himself into someone with a mixture of slower bowls and great control over his line and length. Payney reads the batters and the wicket so well and makes it really difficult to hit boundaries. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. It’s also not his first stint as a Scorcher. He played the back-end of the season when the boys won the BBL12 title. I’ve played so much against him, but despite us both being Englishman and playing all over the world, this is the first time we’ve been in the same side. What we have in common is that we are lucky enough to be back in Perth this year. I know some internationals don’t love playing here because it means more travel — which we’re all used to here in Perth — and it can be a tricky place to bat. I think that’s why the Scorchers love to know what they’re getting when they sign international players. It makes it so much easier when you know how a player is going to respond to the conditions on the field and how they fit in with the group off the field. The Scorchers and Western Australia are built on local talent and local character. That’s why it’s great for Payney and myself as well as Finn Allen on the second year of his deal to be back in orange. I had a bit of a hiccup myself with a little hamstring tweak last week, I just felt it a little bit in the warmup against Hobart last week. I hate missing games so I wanted to play on Sunday night against the Strikers, but the physios decided it was better to be cautious than risk any more damage. The right call was made in the end and I got through on Wednesday night without any problem. I’ve never done any serious soft tissue injuries (touchwood!) but I spent time into getting it right using the hyberbaric oxygen chambers at Studio2 HBOT in Cottesloe and Applecross and the saunas at Vesla Studio in Jolimont. Now I’m ready for our big road trip to Adelaide and Melbourne!