The 25-year-old, who represented his country at under-19 level, has played alongside Kiwi stars Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen, while Scott has also been on the receiving end of Indian sensation Rishabh Pant's brilliance.

But the wicketkeeper-batter has also faced significant battles with injury on his cricketing journey.

Scott was struck in the head with the ball while batting and feared he might never be able to play the sport again.

"It couldn't have hit me any more flush," Scott recalled.

"It took a while to recover and I thought it was going to be a career-ender.

"It was very foggy, almost like an ongoing hangover, waking up and always having a sore head and sore eyes.

"I had ongoing migraines and for about six months

"Walking was the most I could do and anything I tried to pick up, intensity-wise, took a big toll.

"They did find a small bleed in the brain as well, which scared a lot of things, but they don't know if that was from a past injury or the recent one, so I was like 'what do I do here?'"

Scott had spent years playing for Canterbury in his home city of Christchurch but when his partner landed a job in Wagga, it opened up fresh possibilities.

"I was very loyal to the Canterbury region but sometimes being so loyal got me a little stuck there," Scott admitted.

IN OTHER CRICKET NEWS:

"I had a pretty good career and I was fortunate enough to represent the New Zealand U19s back in 2016, which really put into perspective for me the career I could have.

"It's very exciting when everyone around you has that same drive, the same mentality and energy.

"It brings you up to another level and the biggest thing was seeing how the rest of the world works and how they go about playing cricket, from the sub-continent to Australia and England.

"It was an eye-opener, especially versing the likes of India and Pakistan.

"The passion was so raw, it's pretty crazy.

"They live and breathe it and when you actually get out there and face up, it's definitely a lot different and quite confronting if you're not ready for it.

"I always thought I was on the cusp with Canterbury, pushing in the set-ups from a young age and when you get a sniff of it, you think you're really there but it didn't come about in the sense of fully getting that big break and cementing a spot.

"Injuries put a stop on that and the head knock put a scare into a lot of things but now it's all been cleared and I'm raring to go."

Scott is the latest addition to a New City side which looks set to climb the ladder in 2022/23.

The Phoenix finished well adrift at the bottom of the table last season, winning just one game, but they're already shaping as a very different proposition under ex-Lavington coach Daryl Tuffey.

"There's some quiet excitement around the club," Scott said.

"A lot's been happening here and with Tuffey moving over, there's a nice little hum about the club.

"There's a lot to come and it's quite exciting to see what we can showcase.

"I'm a very dominant player, I like to take control and put my best foot forward.

"I like to bring a lot of energy and excitement to how I play and hopefully that rubs off on other people.

"I'll be bringing a lot of energy on both sides, batting and keeping.

"I want to have a bit of fun and bring a fresh lick to the comp.

"I'm looking forward to getting into it and to learn off Daryl is going to be exciting."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: