Speedster Billy Stanlake says he wants to be the Adelaide Strikers’ matchwinner
He’s taken only two wickets in the Adelaide Strikers’ first five games of BBL09 but giant speedster Billy Stanlake says that is about to change.
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Giant Adelaide Strikers speedster Billy Stanlake has vowed to continue to try to blast out opposition top-order batsmen, declaring getting early wickets is a key to Twenty20 success.
Despite only snaring two scalps in the high-flying Strikers’ opening five BBL09 matches, Stanlake says he will stay aggressive – at the expense of conceding runs – in pursuit of putting rivals on the back foot.
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Warning opposition batsmen that he is “building’’ into his best form, Stanlake, who at 204cm is the tallest cricketer to play for Australia, has taken a modest 2/136 from 15 overs in BBL09, conceding an average of nine runs an over.
He was thumped for 38 from two overs against the Perth Scorchers at Adelaide Oval in the team’s first home game when Josh Inglis and Liam Livingstone got the visitors off to a flying start, combining for 124 runs in the opening nine overs.
Stanlake, whose wickets of Sydney Thunder openers Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales have come in the first four overs, has limited the damage in his past three outings but he wants more wickets.
“I’ve been building, getting better each game, which is pleasing, but my mentality is always the same and that’s to get early wickets,’’ the 25-year-old T20 specialist said.
“If I'm bowling up front in the power player, which I have been, I’m going out there to try to take wickets, to try to break the game open early
“That’s when you can win and lose a game, in the (six-over) power play, so I’m always looking to take wickets upfront.
“Getting early wickets is more important than going for a few runs and I want to be a matchwinner, that’s my mentality.”
Stanlake is targeting in-form Sydney Sixers opening batsmen Josh Philippe and Daniel Hughes in Sunday's clash at Coffs Harbour while No. 3, Englishman James Vince, is coming off a player-of-the-match 41 from 26 balls against the Melbourne Renegades.
“Philippe and Hughes are a great opening pair and have been going really well, so I’ll be looking to break them early,’’ said Stanlake, who has put on 6kg of muscle since last summer to make his body stronger to stand up to the rigours of fast bowling, now tipping the scales at 96kg.
“I want to get at least one early wicket because it puts that team under pressure straight away.
“And if you can get a team two or three down in the power play it really sets them back in those middle overs.’’
Stanlake, retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad for this year’s Indian Premier League for $100,000, said he was enjoying being a member of a Strikers bowling attack that gels well as a unit.
Its pace strike force includes experienced former Test quick Peter Siddle, emerging paceman Wes Agar, seamer Cam Valente and star legspinner Rashid Khan, with support from top-order batsman Matt Short, with his spinners.
Michael Neser will join the team after the Test series against New Zealand.
“The great thing about our bowling unit is that we all bring something different, we have different strengths and weaknesses and it gives us plenty of options at different stages.’’ said Stanlake, who is confident his team can quickly bounce back from its first loss – by just three runs – against the Thunder on New Year’s Eve.