Stanlake looks for domestic revival after poor Australia A tour

Cricket365
August 30, 2018

Australia fast bowler Billy Stanlake has conceded that he did not put his best foot forward on the second-string tour to India.

The tall quick bowled 25 overs across three matches in India conceding 116 runs at a reasonable economy rate of just over four and a half RPO.

Stanlake told cricket.com.au: “I bowled really well at times, but was probably too inconsistent with my line and length at other times.

“The really disappointing thing for me was I wasn’t able to take wickets. That is my primary role in the team, to take wickets up front with the new ball.

“I was doing all the right things at training so it’s very disappointing to not be able to replicate that out in the middle.”

Stanlake has had some success in the shorter format India in the IPL but could not execute his plan to bowl fuller in the fifty-over game. He still feels that he learned valuable lessons in India.

“You’re always learning lessons, and I could have tried a couple of different things, like coming around the wicket, which I did at one point (in the final),” he said.

“There’s always something to take out of it. It’s good in a way to go through games where you’re not performing and try and work through that where your rhythm just isn’t there out in the middle.

“I was going through patches where I just wasn’t feeling good and trying to come through that.”

Stanlake feels that his horror run of injuries is now behind him and is confident that he can handle the increased workload of playing all three formats domestically for a full season.

“The body is feeling great, I’m pulling up really well after games,” Stanlake said.

“That’s very exciting for me, to be able play 50-over cricket regularly, and the more I’m playing the easier it’s getting (to recover).

“I can see my body continuing to improve and I’m able to play a lot more cricket than I have in the past.”

Stanlake is keen to face England again after a humiliating ODI series defeat earlier this year. The quick hopes to be in the lineup for the World Cup which England will host next year.

“I’d love to have another crack at those England boys again,” Stanlake said.

“It was a great learning experience just how low the margin for error is at the top level when you’re facing some of the best batters in the world and they’re in good form.

“(The World Cup) is still a long way away and there’s a lot of cricket to be played before then, but it’s obviously a great goal to have, to try and make that squad.

“But it’s still only one step at a time, and next is the JLT Cup. I haven’t been able to play with those (Queensland) boys for a few years so I’m really looking forward to it.”