CALUM Haggett’s cricketing career has been far from plain sailing.

Plagued by injury and health problems in his younger years, the very topic of injury now brings the 22-year-old, who hails from Bridg- water, into a gentle chuckle.

“You’re right there,” said Calum (pictured).

“It’s been nice to get a long stint of cricket under my belt without any setbacks.”

A stress fracture in his back prevented Calum from bowling for a whole year during his late teens, before a routine screening in 2010 identi¬ fied an aortic root dilatation and a leaking heart valve, which saw him withdrawn from the England under-19 World Cup squad.

But Calum is now hopeful that his injury and health problems are far behind him – the all- rounder signed a new contract with Kent County Cricket Club at the end of September after a suc¬ cessful debut season at the county, and things could not be better: “I couldn’t have been happier, the season went really well and I would’ve taken what happened through the season, if you had offered me it at the start.

“I would’ve liked to have got a few better one- day performances in, but I was pleased with my red-ball performances.”

Calum left Somerset at the end of last season after a mutual agreement with the club, and although leaving his home county was difficult, it was a move he felt he had to make if his career was to progress.

A total of 26 Championship wickets together with a batting average of over 40 more than jus¬ tifies his decision: “It was a mutual agreement to leave Somerset – I wasn’t going where I wanted to go so I felt a change was needed. Somerset is my home county and my family still live here, so it was disap¬ pointing to leave, but I had to do it.

“I had a trial at Kent and played a few second- team games for them, and I got the call in January to say that I would be signed in the summer.

“I had a few chances because of injuries in the first team and haven’t looked back since.”

The former Bridgwater and Ashcott and Shapwick player’s season was cut two weeks short by a minor side strain, but Calum insists it wasn’t anything serious, and a more a precau¬ tion.

“It’s been one of the better years with injuries for me. I had a little niggle in my side which saw me miss the last two games, but that was more a case of not making it any worse.”

Calum is due to fly out to Australia’s Sunshine Coast at the end of October for a season of Grade cricket, whilst harbouring ambitions of climbing the Kent batting order next season.

“I definitely have aspirations of becoming an all-rounder who can get in the team as either a batsman or a bowler, rather than just a bowler who can score runs down the order. But to do that I know I’ve got to work hard over the winter and score runs when I get the chance to.”

With another season guaranteed at Canterbury, Calum can hopefully look forward to another 12 months free of setbacks: “Fingers crossed, fingers crossed,” he says.