Jacob Duffy hailed the work ethic of his Nottinghamshire teammates after they secured a ten-wicket victory over Kent at Canterbury.

New Zealand international Duffy, on his debut for the club, took 4/60 in Kent’s second innings as the hosts narrowly avoided an innings defeat.

And despite the Spitfires making a positive start after following on, the paceman was impressed with the attitude of those in the away dressing room.

“I was a little bit sore coming off last night, but the lads were fired up this morning,” he said.

“Four-day wins are hard to come by, so you’ve got to put the graft in to get them. I think everyone in this group knows that, and we’ve got to fight with the position we’re in in the table.

“To come out this morning and get a few early set the tone for the day, and it turned out beautifully in the end.”

Despite having taken 300 First-Class wickets in a 12-year domestic career, Duffy admitted he required a period of acclimatisation on arrival in the UK.

“The game over here is quite different to what I’m used to, so it probably took a bit of adjustment, and I’m still adjusting,” he said.

“To get a bit better in that second dig and take a few poles feels very good.

“I’ve had good prep at home, a lot of grass wicket bowling, but I guess nothing prepares you like the real thing. Ultimately, the more you bowl, the better you feel.”

Duffy led the way with the ball in Kent’s second innings, but it was Farhan Ahmed who starred in the first – the 16-year-old Academy graduate securing his own four-wicket haul.

The kiwi was quick to praise the Notts attack as a whole for their efforts with the ball.

“The whizz-kid [Farhan] is a seriously impressive operator, but the seamers worked away all day,” he said.

“I thought Lyndon yesterday was brilliant – he’s in more of a fourth seamer role, but he effectively led the attack and it was beautiful to see.

“The lads have been great – not very good poker players, which suits me perfectly! But they’ve been very welcoming, they’re well led by Hass and Mooresy, and it’s an awesome group to be around.”

Next week brings an opportunity for Duffy to become the third New Zealand international to step out on the Trent Bridge turf as a Notts player this summer.

And the 30-year-old has heard nothing but positive testimonies from his predecessors.

“Trent Bridge is a beautiful looking ground, and I’ve only heard good things about it,” he said.

“There have been plenty of Kiwis who have played there, and the likes of Will Young and Ben Lister have said great things about it, so I’m really looking forward to getting there.”

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