Glenn Phillips explores left-arm batting to counter left-arm spin
Gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, explosive New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips believes his increasingly refined left-handed batting offers a glimpse of the future, particularly as a weapon against left-arm spin. Known for his out-of-the-box approach, Phillips turned heads during a New Zealand Super Smash clash against Central Districts last Tuesday, smashing an unbeaten 90 for Otago.
What stunned spectators and the opponents alike was not just the innings, but the manner in which he dismantled left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox — batting left-handed, including a six over extra cover that would have sailed over midwicket had he stood in his usual right-handed stance. “I do enjoy my left-handed batting training,” Phillips was quoted saying in ESPNCricinfo.
“Obviously, I do it for multiple reasons. One, just to keep both hands and both sides of the brain working, but also just for the opportunity to, I guess, take down left-arm spin at some stage.” In modern day cricket, the ball turning away from the batter is considered a favourable match-up, prompting teams to prioritise left-arm orthodox spinners given the predominance of right-handed batters.
Explaining his innovation to New Zealand Cricket, Phillips said it has been “a couple of years” in the making. “It’s more of a future thing,” he said. “But for the opportunity to come in a game where there’s going to be a lot of left-arm off-spin bowling, I guess it sort of made sense to give it a go and bring it back to the forefront of the training leading into that game. And the fact that the opportunity came during the game to use it was quite good.”
Phillips admitted that several factors need to align before he fully unleashes his inner left-hander in competitive cricket. “It’s just trusting the training and understanding that I’ve just got to watch the ball as much as possible and I guess know that I’ve done the work and I’ve done the preparation and so there’s no reason it shouldn’t work,” he said. “But also, I guess, I generally have used it in the situation where there’s nothing left to lose. There’s a couple overs left and it’s now time for a bit of fun, I guess, really.” New Zealand’s white-ball tour of India begins with an ODI in Vadodara on Sunday.
