By RICHARD BOOCK
The first difference you notice about Matthew Bell is his batting stance, which resembles someone who has been snatched from the middle of their evening stroll.
Whatever else the 24-year-old has changed during his season-long absence from the New Zealand test side, the most notable has been his stance - to a highly unorthodox set up at the crease, which was apparently developed during the first weeks of the summer.
Bell, who will open the batting with Mark Richardson in the first test against Pakistan starting tomorrow, prepares for each delivery by adopting a position not unlike the delivery stride of lawn bowler Nick Unkovich - with his front toe on middle stump and his back foot well outside leg.
Although he is sure the stance will cause plenty of comment at Eden Park over the next few days, he points to the success he has enjoyed in this season's Shell Trophy (844 runs at 52.75 including five centuries) as justification for it to continue.
"It will probably get talked about quite a bit but it works for me," Bell said after practice yesterday.
"I seem to be getting across to off stump nicely and that's a good thing for an opening batsman. I saw myself on video yesterday and was surprised the change was so pronounced - but remember, it's only a starting position.
"As the ball is released I move across into line."
The outstanding batsman in domestic cricket this season, Bell faces a difficult assignment to resurrect his test record, which shows an average of 15.78 from 15 innings, including one half-century and three ducks.
He had a particularly difficult time in the 1999 series against India, being continually exposed around off stump, and later conceded he was finding it difficult to retain a sense of perspective as his international prospects deteriorated.
In the end he was dropped from the test team, and faced a demanding examination of his character to make it back to the top level.
"I used to be worried about playing the perfect shot; I had a fear of failure," Bell said. "I wanted to succeed and do so well that I was putting myself under unbearable pressure. Actually, I set myself up to fail.
"But I think I'm tougher now. It was good to have that layoff and play more first-class cricket and get runs under my belt again.
"The confidence started to return and I started to understand myself better as well. That's been another big thing really - the fact that I'm a shade more experienced, more mature and that I know myself better.
"Sometimes you need to take a step back in order to take two forward and that's what I think has happened here."
Part of Bell's preparation for the test match has involved visualising the Pakistan bowlers, but there have been so many comings and goings in the opposition camp that he is now unsure who he will be facing.
Fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram have been invalided out, leaving the core Pakistan pace attack comprising Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami and Abdur Razzaq.
"It's a bit of a relief knowing Akram won't be there either," he said.
"But there's now going to be a whole lot of young, enthusiastic players with lots to prove, so it will still be very tough."
Cricket: Unusual stance working for Bell
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.