Sadly, Holland succumbed to a brain tumour on September 17, shortly before the young leg-spinner arrived in Australia.

Instead, the Englishman arrived in time only to join the rest of the cricket community in farewelling Holland.

“The day I turned up was the day of Robert’s funeral. It was very unfortunate,” Croft, 20, said.

It was the book The Art of Wrist-Spin Bowling, by another former Australian leggie, Peter Philpott, that was the catalyst for Croft’s decision to come to Australia to further his cricket education.

“I Googled some former leg-spinners to see what clubs they were associated with, and Toronto was one that come up,” he said.

“I’d also spoken to some lads back in England who had been to Australia and they said how good it was.”

So, Croft took the plunge and flew halfway across the world to play cricket with Toronto.

In doing so, he joined the likes of Jake Ball, Tom Bailey and Mark Nicholas as English imports to have strapped on the pads for the Koobaburras.

“I’m in pretty good company,” he said.

Croft’s initiation in the Newcastle district competition was a tough one.

Toronto went winless for the first seven matches, and the one-day format wasn’t kind to the leg-spinner.

“When you’re playing your first few games for a new team you want to make a bit of an impression,” Croft said.

But with his initial opportunities with the ball, Croft took some tap.

“I was hit into the creek [at Ron Hill Oval] a few times, and a couple of the Toronto lads started to name the creek after me,” he smiled.

“And our fast bowlers were giving me a bit of stick for damaging the ball. It wasn’t the best.

“I was starting to wonder where our next win was coming from?”

But the two-day format enabled the spinner to bowl more overs and find his groove.

“In the last two months I’ve taken 13 or so wickets in our four wins. I’ve found a nice rhythm in the last few weeks, and I’ve been able to bowl upwards of 20 overs, which is what I’ve wanted to do.”

He recently had three batsman stumped in the win over Belmont.

Croft said coming to Australia had been character building, and he’s loved it.

He’s living at Warners Bay, and has worked in a call centre, a toy shop, and recently as a labourer for a gardener.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve played a lot of cricket, and I’ve had the opportunity in my free time to get out and about and do things that you can’t do in the UK,” he said.

“I think it’s snowing there at the moment.”

Croft will head back to the UK at the end of March. He hopes to return to Australia to play more cricket next summer.