The Southport School director of cricket Steve Baker discusses team’s spin-heavy bowling tactics

THE Southport School director of cricket Steve Baker says his team’s unusual ploy to open the bowling with two spinners is somewhat to combat the hooping Dukes new balls.

THE Southport School director of cricket Steve Baker says his team’s unusual ploy to open the bowling with two spinners is somewhat to combat the hooping Dukes new balls.

While a spinner taking the new ball has become commonplace in Twenty20 cricket, it is not overly often that neither end has a paceman charging in – and even less so in the 50-over format.

However, that has not stopped TSS from going with the combination of off-spinner Ky Newitt and left-arm orthodox bowler Peter Lynch up front in all four GPS cricket first XI fixtures to date.

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“In terms of what they are able to do, using the Dukes ball is a real challenge and particularly early with controlling the swing of it,” Baker explained.

Tom Watts (batting) at times has been the only seam bowler used by TSS. Picture: Steve Holland

“This year we have gone with opening with two spinners. It’s not something that we always do but to be fair they have both done a pretty good job.”

The subcontinent feel to the TSS bowling attack doesn’t stop there, either; off-spinner Jack Sinfield and leg-spinners Hugo Burdon and Jack Hocart are also core elements, while Jack Kann provides another leggie option to fall back on.

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Tom Watts and Kye Shield are the team’s only pacemen.

Despite that team composition, Baker insisted TSS were more happy to see their home wicket at the Village Green be a batting-friendly surface rather than a spinning dustbowl.

TSS are away in Round 5 against Brisbane Grammar School on Saturday.