HE took more wickets than any other bowler in last year's Sheffield Shield competition and forms part of an imposing New South Wales attack which is aiming to dominate South Australia this weekend, but it was not always easy for Trent Copeland.
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In fact the Bathurst seamer vividly remembers his horror maiden delivery for the Blues in a shield match.
He recounted the story when trying to offer advice to Tasmanian quick Nathan Ellis, one of his former St George team-mates, prior to his one-day debut for the Tigers.
"I got wind of him going to be in the squad for the Perth games. Just speaking to him about that environment and about going to the WACA, playing against some absolute superstars, that environment to him was just so foreign," Copeland, who took 52 shield wickets last season, said.
"I ran through a story of my first over in shield cricket, no-one really knew who I was, my first ball bounced twice before it got to [wicket-keeper] Daniel Smith.
"Simon Katich was at first slip, David Warner, Steve Smith, Phil Hughes any number of superstars for New South Wales must have been thinking to themselves 'Who the hell is this guy?'"
Now they, and a host of others, know exactly who Copeland is. He is a man who has taken more than 350 first class wickets and when he gets a chance to bowl at the Adelaide Oval this weekend - NSW were sent in to bat on Friday morning - will be a threat.
