TWEAKS LIFT DOLPHIN TO LOFTY HEIGHTS
LIAM Hope-Shackley says an overhaul of his fitness and tweaks to his technique and mindset are behind a season that has made him one of Queensland Premier Cricket’s biggest batting weapons.
The Gold Coast Dolphin has lit up the competition in 2019-20, scoring the secondmost runs (887) and boasting the second-best average (59.13) behind Wynnum Manly’s Jason Floros (943 runs at 72.54).
The 27-year-old has hit a competition-high five tons, his latest on the weekend, while he also has a halfcentury from 20 innings.
Hope-Shackley said the form he currently boasts is the result of changes made to his body and mind, something that began in the cold winter months of 2019.
“I did a few things with my fitness and made a couple of technique changes,” he said.
“I think it’s also been one of those years for me where things have just gone right.
“I haven’t got any bad decisions really and when you mis-hit balls they are going into the gaps. It’s been good to capitalise on it.
“Having a trigger movement was the main one I started with. I have always stood still but now I’ve taken that trigger movement in.
“I go from middle to off stump and then open up, similar to how a lot of the guys at upper levels get set.
“The other thing is being a lot more selective with how I play balls and what my mental process is with getting set up and knowing what shots are on and what shots aren’t while being really disciplined with that.
“I used to see ball and hit ball and let my instincts do the talking.”
Hope-Shackley added a running program he started last winter, which has resulted in him taking more than two minutes off his best 3km run.
The fourth-placed Dolphins (276) start day two of their fixture with Sandgate-Redcliffe (1-25) at Bill Pippen Oval at 10am.