I am officially a Prince Alfred Old Collegians cricketer. Adelaide University has signed off my clearance request for my transfer without any questions even though ATCA just has to act. They probably would have reckoned that I was probably better off elsewhere, given that they might give more opportunities to students. It will remain to be seen if there was going to be any banter when we face-off, but I’m mentally prepared to treat it as white noise.
I can’t really wait for the pre-season to commence. Not just because of the transfer, but also the confidence within my all-round skills are at an incredible high. With the bat, I felt like a dominator on both sides of the wicket, particularly to flighted slow bowling that allows me to come down the wicket and hit it with timing and power. It all came about via the conventional hard top-hand grip with the loose yet supportive bottom hand. It is important that since the kitbag would be untouched until pre-season, my newly formed batting routine and technique stay fresh in the memory.
Bowling wise has been steady. The fifteen paced run-up from last month has proven to be less of a hindrance to my body and my skills. Having been able to get the ball to move away and/or bounce, I had started working on an in-ducker, which is still a work in progress, but it’s a valuable ball when it all falls in place. My biggest concern though is my line, which is about a 4th/5th stump which batsmen could slash at it regardless of length. But that has been self-corrected since it all comes down to my non-bowling hand. I also managed to get the ball fuller than before, which again comes down to the non-bowling hand.
Fielding has seen some positive gains, as throwing from a conventional side-on position has provided my throws with extra power. Moreover, I have been encouraged by the coaches to study how players through from the outfield in Baseball, which does tie in with the basics conducted by Mike Young, the former Australian Fielding coach whose background is in Baseball.
The two months I spent at Gillespie Sports honing my all-round game have undoubtedly been worth it. Now it is up to me to revise what I’ve done so that I can hit the ground running at pre-season.
Diary of a Grade Cricketer 