It’s the “pill” leading cricketer Sam Doubleday has prescribed to end batting blues, and a number of players will “take it” when the Twenty20 opening round is held on Friday night.
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Doubleday will be one of them – hopeful the “freeing” nature of Twenty20 will reverse his batting slump this season.
He said it could only take “one or two overs” of good hitting to do so.
“It’s hard to explain,” he said. “At times it can be quicker to get into a rhythm … There’s been times in previous years when I’ve struggled, and I know others who’ve struggled, and come Twenty20 you get a few runs under the belt and they find form for the remainder of the season.
“It frees you up. It’s sort of a no-pressure game. You play shots you probably normally wouldn’t play.”
Along with Luke Ryan, Doubleday is co-captain of the LR Golf & Sports/SED Spinnerbaits Strikers.
It frees you up. It’s sort of a no-pressure game.
- Sam Doubleday
The side plays the Mitchell Swain-captained Tamba Industrial Bulls in the second match at Kitchener Park on Friday night.
In the first match, the Imperial Hotel Tigers play the Sign Print Stitch Stars.
Doubleday said another fun aspect of Twenty20 was the chance to play against club teammates.
Bragging rights were on the line, and whatever you do don’t get out to a clubmate, he said.
That could be hard to achieve, he added, given that clubmates knew your weakness better than anyone. “They generally don’t let you live it down for the rest of the season [if they remove you],” he said.
Doubleday said he was happy with his side, which he described as having a good mix of youth and experience.
Doubleday’s poor form included a failure in Gunnedah’s War Veterans Cup loss to Inverell on Sunday, which cost Gunnedah at spot in the final. He said he hoped the side could build on their promising form this season.
