CRICKET superstar Aaron Finch has done it all at the elite level.

The Australian has won honours at home and abroad, featured in leagues across the world and captains his country’s white-ball sides.

Yet just over a decade ago, in 2009, Finch was turning out for Clifton Alliance rather than Australia.

Two years later he would debut on the international stage and he’s now set for a return to Yorkshire as a marquee overseas player with Northern Superchargers in this summer’s The Hundred competition.

“Clifton Alliance was my first taste of English club cricket, and I had an unbelievable time there as well,” reflected the former Yorkshire star.

“ It’s a pretty special place up North, and I can’t wait to get back.

“Headingley is an amazing place to play cricket when you’re on the right side of the fans there. It can also be a brutal place at times, and I’ve been on the receiving end there playing for Australia.

“It really is a wonderful crowd to play in front of.”

Finch spent two summers as Yorkshire’s overseas player in 2014 and 2015, playing his part in the glorious back-to-back County Championship title successes.

Reflecting on it, he played down his contribution, saying: “I can’t really claim much credit in that regard.”

But a return of 415 runs in eight Championship matches across the two summers, including two fifties and a hundred, ranks as a valuable return.

“It was great to see how hard everyone was working at the club,” he said. “So to get the success on the back of that was outstanding.

“There were some seriously talented players there, and it would have been a shame had Yorkshire not won a couple of titles in that period. For it to come together the way it did, with us dominating the competition, it was unbelievable.

“I had a couple of great years there, and I loved every bit of it.”

The 34-year-old, selected by the Superchargers in the initial Hundred draft in late 2019 ahead of last summer’s anticipated start, has been retained alongside fellow Australian powerhouse Chris Lynn and Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.

Durham seamer Brydon Carse and Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson have also been retained.

“We’ve built a really good side, one that’s got firepower, experience and a bit of youth there as well,” said the opener. “They are things that will combine to make us a real quality short format team.”

Finch is also pleased that the Superchargers team - like the other seven, a squad built from scratch - has a strong Yorkshire core of players and coaches, including head coach and White Rose legend Darren Lehmann.

Also retained by Northern were Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Adam Lyth, David Willey and Adil Rashid.

“I think it’s really important,” he continued. “And I also think the youth and experience combination is really important because you need the ignorance of youth at times in the short format - guys who are carefree and just go and play the game.

“I know, having played under Boof (Lehmann) for a long time, that’s the way he wants everyone to play.

“It’s sort of take the game on and ask questions later if it doesn’t go your way.

“That leaves you in a great position to take on the opposition fearlessly.

“Then you can stretch the boundaries.”