Sayers closing in on Tykes starting spot (From The Northern Echo)

Sayers closing in on Tykes starting spot

9:02am Tuesday 31st March 2009 in

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JOE SAYERS has the ability to be a star performer in all forms of the game, including Twenty20 cricket, according to Yorkshire’s batting coach Kevin Sharp.

The 25-year-old left-hander is closing in on one of the opener spots in the county championship line-up with two impressive performances on the club’s recent pre-season tour to the UAE.

He hit 55 against Surrey and 132 against Lancashire to help the White Rose county finish third in the Pro ARCH Trophy.

Director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon will look at all the candidates for the opening partnership, an area which Sharp says has been of “most concern” in recent seasons.

Andrew Gale, the most successful in that berth in 2008 will be the leading contender, with Sayers and Adam Lyth fighting it out to face the new ball with him.

Michael Vaughan, Anthony McGrath and Jacques Rudolph will almost certainly make up the middle order.

Sayers has been working with Sharp this winter on technical changes to his grip, enabling him to be more prolific through the off-side by playing with a straighter bat.

“What is happening now is that he is not only able to play the big shots, but he is also able to rotate the strike by taking singles into gaps between the fielders on the offside,” explained Sharp.

“Joe has been in Yorkshire cricket for a good few years now – he has got his first team cap for his performances. But over the last year or two, he has lost some form and found himself out of the side.

“He hasn’t yet forced his way into the one-day side.

Apart from the odd game or two, championship cricket is what he has played. But there is no reason why he can’t force his way into the one-day side.

“You can see from some of the shots he has played on tour that he is more than capable of doing that. He has been scoring at nearly a run a ball, and you can’t ask for anymore than that.

“When Twenty20 cricket started, we had quite a few practice matches amongst ourselves at Headingley. Joe was playing in those and hit many a ball out of the ground.

“Up to now, the opportunity has never arisen for him in that, but there is no reason why he can’t feature in Twenty20 too.”

Sayers’ search for the kind of form which saw him score three Championship hundreds in six weeks in 2007 took him to a week-long batting clinic in the Indian city of Bangalore in February.

“Joe’s work ethic is extremely high,” continued Sharp. “Once he sees the merit in working on something, he will put his heart and soul into it.”