MATTHEW FISHER is taking a crucial step in his bid to return to first-team action with Yorkshire next year by playing winter grade cricket in Adelaide.

The highly-rated fast bowler endured a nightmare summer due to three separate left hamstring injuries, starting in March while on pre-season tour in the UAE.

It meant the teenager failed to play a first-team match and was confined only to second XI and league cricket throughout 2016.

It was particularly frustrating for Fisher given he completed his A Level studies earlier this year and was hoping to concentrate purely on his cricket throughout the second half of the campaign.

Now, he is in South Australia until Christmas playing for Adelaide Cricket Club before training with the state’s Big Bash team under the watchful eye of his former coach Jason Gillespie.

The 18-year-old debuted for Adelaide in a first grade defeat to the Southern District club on Saturday, taking 1-48 from ten overs and hitting nine not out.

Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “The next couple of months are very important for him.

“It’s about increasing his confidence in his body because, when you have three injuries in the same place, you do lose confidence.

“Hopefully he will remain injury-free during this period and regain that trust.

“We felt that it was important given he’d missed so much cricket that he continued to play whilst he’s fit.

“He’s at Adelaide Cricket Club, which Dizzy (Gillespie) helped out with, and he’s coming back just before Christmas.

“We’ll keep in touch with him, probably once a month. I don’t think we’ll bother him more than that.

“I’m sure if anything happens, he will get in touch with us, but we’re sure he knows what he’s doing.

“He’s got Dizzy over there, and he’s going to be around him when the Big Bash starts. He should be really looked after, so I’ve no real concerns.”

In 2015, Fisher was Yorkshire’s leading NatWest T20 Blast wicket-taker with 16 from 13 matches, including 5-22 from 3.2 overs on debut against Derbyshire.

As a result, his loss was keenly felt by the White Rose this summer.

“It was really frustrating because the lads didn’t rush him back at any time really,” said Moxon. “It was all done very carefully and methodically.

“It was a mystery as to why it happened. The first time it re-occurred he was batting, and it wasn’t as if he’d just gone in and was cold. He’d be at the crease for a while.

“But hopefully it’s behind him, and now school’s finished he can really get stuck into it.

“Fish bowling well is a definite first-team squad member, so it will be like a new player for us, in effect.”

Fisher still has the option of furthering his education at University after studying Psychology and PE at A-Levels.

“At the moment, he’s just going to concentrate on his cricket, certainly next year,” added Moxon.

“He’ll maybe assess at the end of next summer.

“For now, he’s just desperate to play some cricket, as you would expect. He’ll just focus on that.”

At present, Fisher is the only Yorkshire player playing club cricket abroad, although that number is expected to increase in the New Year.