Black Caps spinner Will Somerville is ready for his chance to complete a cricketing fairytale on his return to Sydney, called into the New Zealand side for the third Test against Australia.
Somerville, 35, was this morning added to the Black Caps side for the third Test starting on Friday, taking the spot of injured Trent Boult in the 15-man squad.
With Mitchell Santner's dire series with the ball a massive weakness for the Black Caps, the left-armer taking just one wicket from the opening two Tests, Somerville has the chance to play at the SCG for the first time in a Test match, if the selectors swing the axe.
Having moved to Sydney in his youth, Somerville grew up playing cricket in the Australian domestic system, representing New South Wales at State level, as well as a Big Bash League stint with the Sydney Sixers.
His knowledge of the SCG pitch and conditions seem to make him a shoe in for a Test match on his former home ground.
Somerville played 12 First-class matches for New South Wales, taking 48 wickets at an average of just over 25 - including best figures of 8/136 against a Queensland side containing current Australian batsmen Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschagne.
Somerville left Australia to return home to Auckland in 2018, in the hope of a last-chance at international cricket, the move paying off with a Test debut less than a year later.
A return to the SCG looms as a more special achievement for Somerville though, a chance to play on his old stomping ground against the likes of former New South Wales teammates Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and David Warner.
"It's incredibly special," Somerville told media at Eden Park this morning, preparing for the Auckland Aces' T20 Super Smash match against Wellington.
"It's very exciting for my family and I in particular, I lived there for the previous 10 years before coming back to Auckland last summer.
"There's a lot of friends and family there that are excited to see me, lots of catch ups and hopefully some cricket to play as well."
Somerville's success at first class level had him in the frame for an unlikely Australian call-up, as the off-spinner holds dual citizenship.
The now three-Test Black Cap was adamant that a shot at Test cricket for Australia was never in his thinking.
"Nathan Lyon was playing, and they had a number of other spinners. Steven O'Keefe [Jon] Holland, those guys that were ahead of me.
"I didn't think about the international side of things over in Australia.
"I was just trying to improve, do the best I could for New South Wales, trying to contribute in that environment. [I] absolutely loved my time there, and was super grateful for the opportunity to kick start my professional career with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers.
"It's quite special to be going back there to where my professional career started.
Somerville's story almost reads as a Hollywood tale, making his professional start at age 30, having previously worked as an accountant.
"I just played cricket because I love playing cricket. I was plucked from grade cricket in Sydney.
"Suddenly I was at the SCG, playing four day cricket with guys I'd been watching on TV for five years - now I call them my mates.
"To be going back to the SCG, it's kind of gone full circle, my career. It's very exciting to be back into the mixer with the Black Caps guys."
Somerville's potential Sydney return will unfortunately come in a dead-rubber Test, the Black Caps now playing for pride only after humiliating defeats in both Perth and Melbourne, trailing 2-0 in the three match series.
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