Glenn Phillips, the New Zealand batsman, has stated that he determined to crouch like a sprinter within the crease on the non-striker’s finish in opposition to Sri Lanka in order that he may run sooner, whereas keeping track of the bowler as the potential for getting run out was additionally on his thoughts.
“It was very much spur of the moment,” centurion Phillips stated after New Zealand’s 65-run win within the T20 World Cup in Sydney. “I really had my three-point begin mistaken, which my greatest mate’s going to in all probability give me slightly little bit of stick for in a while. It’s purported to be the opposite arm and different leg.
“I assume the place was to have the ability to see the bowlers and take off as fast as attainable from a sprinter’s begin if you’re attempting to not be out of the crease as a lot as attainable — there’s been loads going round about Mankads and leaving the crease.
“At the top of the day, it’s my accountability to ensure that I’m within the crease and go away on the proper time. If the bowler is doing his job, then he has the suitable to have the ability to take the bails off.
Phillips crouched with solely his left foot contained in the crease, and his proper hand holding the bat, which lay on the turf, together with his face tilted to look at Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara operating in to bowl. He felt he’d be capable to get off the blocks faster with this strategy, than if he would have stored his bat grounded within the crease within the standard method.
“For me to be able to get into that start, that position as quick as possible, it just made sense. The real reason I did it was the position I was getting into, if I had my bat behind the crease, I thought it was actually slower to turn and accelerate off. Hence the reason for having my foot inside the crease and going from there,” Phillips stated.
When requested if his modern methodology may come for use by extra batsmen in T20 cricket in a 12 months’s time, Phillips stated, “Who knows? Maybe some people will use it. Maybe some people won’t. Obviously the extension of the bat being in the crease gives you another extra foot or two, but at the end of the day, I’ve got little arms. So my speed is probably going to get me a little bit further than my reaches.”
