Woolmer defends marble approach

The tactic to practise batting against short-pitched bowling on a slab of marble is still a sound one and we shall continue to do so, writes Bob Woolmer in The Times.

It is a misconception that the best way to combat steep bounce is to get behind the line. One alternative method is to leave more balls outside off stump, and another, when attacking Harmison and others, is to play more “high shots” such as cutting over the slips, as John Edrich, Alan Knott and Tony Greig did on fast, bouncy surfaces in the 1970s, and hooking.