Given the dearth of high-quality seam bowling in Bermuda, it came as no surprise that two of the Island?s most exciting prospects were packed off overseas to broaden their cricketing horizons.

If they continue to improve and remain injury free, Stefan Kelly and George O?Brien are expected to spearhead Bermuda?s attack for the next decade or more, hopefully providing the penetration that some would argue is missing from the national side?s current crop of medium pacers.

While Kelly was asked to remain at school in the UK to focus on his summer exams for this current trip to the Caribbean, O?Brien was busy over the weekend making his debut in the national side and succeeded in outperforming both Kevin Hurdle and Ryan Steede ? his more senior and established team-mates ? during Bermuda?s one-sided defeat at the hands of Clarke Road United.

With a winter of league cricket in Australia under his belt, O?Brien has returned with an improved action and a more ambitious outlook.

And though a nagging back injury meant he was unable to prepare as he would have liked for the journey south, the St. George?s Cup Match hero is determined to stake a claim to the title of Bermuda?s best seamer.

?It was a great experience in Australia ? I got a lot out of it,? he said.

?The main difference between league cricket in Australia and Bermuda is discipline. I found that out pretty quickly. The batsmen worked a lot harder for their runs and there weren?t as many easy wickets to take because they did not throw their wickets away as easily as many batsmen do in Bermuda.

?The bowlers as well were a lot more disciplined and accurate. There weren?t that many bad balls and I learned a lot from playing with people like that.

?I was happy to be selected for the national team and it has been fun playing cricket with these guys. I know the team is looking for a fast bowler to step up. I don?t know if I?ll be selected for the games against Canada and Zimbabwe but I?m excited about it and I hope I get a chance.?

One of the noticeable differences with O?Brien?s bowling since his return from Down Under is the position of his wrist at the point of release ? a subtle but important change.

While he met with considerable success in local cricket before he left for Australia, his tendency to spear too many balls down the leg side was borne out of a faulty wrist action which often resulted in the ball squirting out the right side of his hand rather than the front.

Now, however, with a strong wrist placed directly behind the ball when he lets go at the top of his action, the seam is considerably straighter on its way down the pitch ? meaning far more control and a higher chance of the ball shaping away from right handed batsman.

O?Brien admitted that this simple adjustment had drastically reduced the number of wides he used to produce in limited overs cricket, while also helping him to make the most of any swing on offer with the new ball.

?Brad Murphy, who was the coach at the cricket academy in Brisbane, really helped me a lot with the wrist and it has made a big difference,? he said.

?There were a couple of other minor adjustments to my action which I tried to do, but mainly it was all about trying to stand the seam up straighter which should give me some more movement.

?I?ve made a lot of progress on that. Now what I have to do is work more on the fitness side of things because at the moment I?m not as fit as I need to be, which means a lot of running and sprinting.?

Coach Gus Logie has made no secret of the fact that O?Brien is somebody he believes has the ability to trouble quality batsmen at an international level ? though he is quick to point out that there is some way to go before he is the finished article.

?George is the quickest bowler we have in Bermuda right now and I want to see him keep working hard and being there or thereabouts when it come to opening the bowling,? he said.

?He is still young and is still learning. He obviously enjoyed his time in Australia which helped him understand what it takes to be a fast bowler at a high level and how hard you have to work and how professional you have to be. Hopefully he will kick on because he has a lot of potential and it would be good to see him make the most of it.?