Allott: born-again cricketer (27 November 1998)

27 November 1998

Allott: born-again cricketer

By Geoff Longley

A remodelled action, worked on over winter, has led to Southern Conference and Canterbury paceman Geoff Allott making a bowling breakthrough, which should boost his career.

Allott, 26, was forced to revise his action after a lower-back injury, the bane of all quick bowlers, sidelined him for much of last season.

Not only has the altered delivery helped greatly reduce the chance of injury recurring, it has also contributed to developing an in-swinger, an essential component of a left-arm fast-medium bowler's armoury.

"My action was a mixed one, which meant my legs were coming through front on and my body side on, which was just a recipe for stress fractures with the pressures placed upon the back.

"I worked with Dayle Hadlee at the high-performance centre over winter, so that the action is all one way now, front on, and the pressures on the back are far less."

While gradually making the change, Allott noticed he was able to swing the ball back into right-handed batsman, a delivery he had been unable to master in the past.

"It was really rammed home to me in Australia last summer that you have to be able to take the ball both ways. The batsmen there could even leave the ball to bounce over the stumps, so sure were they that I couldn't bring one back."

Allott lost ground in the pace bowling stakes for the Black Caps with the arrival of fellow left-armer Shayne O'Connor who displayed the ability to swing the ball back during that tour and he became a test team regular.

"I know I can swing it now, and while I'm not going to do it every ball, it's something to have up your sleeve to put in every few overs. Shayne showed the value of being able to swing the ball."

Allott said it was taking time to get to grips with the action revamp.

"While people may watch me and notice little or no difference, I certainly feel the change and have to be careful I don't slip back into bad habits when I get out in the middle and the competitive instincts take over."

Allott's action was analysed by Hadlee and New Zealand Cricket's technical advisor Ashley Ross who works with the principles of biomechanics.

"I was able to watch my action on video and they could split the screen, showing me front on and side on and go from there."

Allott said without the assistance of NZC and the expertise available at Lincoln University he may not have been able to come back successfully.

After experiencing lower-back pain and stiffness, Allott broke down bowling for Canterbury on New Year's Day in a Shell Cup match against Auckland.

"It was just so frustrating sitting on the sidelines and it made me realise how important the game was to me."

After getting the all clear to resume bowling, Allott began working with Hadlee from afresh, starting with just the delivery stride before gradually extending his run-up a few paces.

"When I found I could swing the ball I was like a kid with a new toy."

Allott's promising progress prompted the national selectors to include him in the Black Caps team for its one-day tournaments at the Commonwealth Games and the mini-World Cup in Bangladesh, after injuries to other front-line pacemen.

The real test has been in recent weeks with Allott bowling in the Conference series and so far the results have been encouraging, with returns of three for 69 and three for 47 against Central, and two for 81 against Pakistan A. "It's not so much the wickets, but more how I'm bowling, my rhythm, how I'm getting to the wicket, etc."

Allott now appears in direct contention with O'Connor for a place in the New Zealand test team against India next month.

"I want to make it back to the test side, but Shayne had a terrific season last year and works very hard, so we'll just have to wait and see."

The main goal Allott has set is getting past January 1 injury-free for he is sure it will then be a Happy New Year.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)