Australia honing its death bowling skills ahead of World Cup showdowns

Australia, short of an outright death bowling specialist in the squad, is honing its late overs bowling skills in training with a competitive mini-game that challenges fast bowlers to nail yorkers.

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Australia is honing its death bowling skills with a competitive mini-game that challenges its fast bowlers to nail a series of yorkers.

The drill sees bowlers earn a point for hitting a white cone they previously nominated and double points if they also rattle a stump, which are placed horizontally near the batting crease.

Australia has not boasted a specialist death bowler since Brett Lee with even the likes of Test stars Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins vulnerable in the final 10 overs.

Australia have been training hard in London and now Southampton. Picture: Cricket Network

Kane Richardson — brought into the World Cup squad last week because of his clever variations at the death — won the first mini-game points contest in London at the weekend.

Cummins made a bright start to the same drill at Australia’s first training session in Southampton on Monday, which included the quicks bowling extensively at Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja.

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The Aussies are desperate to nail their lengths and, failure to do so in Wednesday night’s practice match against West Indies, could see a mammoth score conceded.

The unofficial clash will be staged on the Ageas Nursery Ground, which is a tiny oval with just a brown picket fence separating the square boundary and the 17th hole of a neighbouring golf course.

“The (drill is) a bit of target bowling while the batsmen are up in the nets,” Starc said.

“We’ve got certain cones put up for wide yorkers either side of the stumps and we’re trying to hit that zone.

Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer look on as the squad are put through their paces. Picture: Cricket Network

“There’s a competition around with a point system that we’ll carry on during the World Cup.

“It’s something we’re working hard on because death bowling is something where you can win or lose a game or defend a total.”

Starc clocked 148km on return from a pectoral injury in Brisbane last week, where he spent his four months on the sidelines making some technical changes.

“I changed a few of my cues and just had a finer focus on those particular cues,” he said.

“(I’m) not really worrying about the result at the other end, more worrying about what I can control which has really helped with that focus.”

Starc said unpredictability was the key at the death as batsmen tried to hit sixes every ball.

“As long as you are at the top of your mark knowing what ball you are going to bowl and you execute that, if the batsman’s good enough to get it way then good luck to them,” he said.

Australia plays the West Indies in its second World Cup match and Starc said his team would pore over statistical information and footage to help prepare for that encounter.

While both teams slept a short walk from their off-Broadway venue, the Australians bunked at the five-star Hilton while Chris Gayle’s West Indies made do at the Holiday Inn.

Originally published as Australia honing its death bowling skills ahead of World Cup showdowns