WET AND WINDIES

Willey and Co plan to use the ‘Halloween method’ so heavy dew and sweaty conditions do not prove too scary

HALLOWEEN has come early for England’s cricketers who will be bobbing for balls in buckets of water in order to prepare for T20 World Cup glory.

The sodden balls will be used in practice ahead of the opening game against the West Indies on Saturday to try to replicate the impact of dew and excessive sweat in the oppressive Dubai heat.

Even though the game takes place in the evening, temperatures can still top 30 degrees to leave England’s bowlers grappling with a slippery ball that can make their job tougher.

And having felt the effects in their two warm-up games so far, it is something they will need to be ready for.

“The biggest thing we learned is the amount of dew and sweat,” said all-rounder David Willey. “That’s been something we’ve had to try to manage very quickly in those games. You start sweating, and you just can’t stop.

“Moving forward we’ve got to think about how we’re going to keep our hands dry, keep our arms dry, dry the ball and also be able to bowl with a wet ball in the proper games coming up.

“It’s something we’ve discussed and even if it’s just dunking balls in buckets and catching, fielding and bowling with these wet balls we’ll certainly be doing.

“We’ll probably get some more towels to change them every over for the lads that are heavy sweaters, plus sweat bands and things.

“I think when we toured Bangladesh in a warm-up game, that was a bit hotter, but it’s certainly up there.”

Willey, 31, was one of England’s stars in the 2016 campaign, taking 3-20 in the final (above) before Carlos Brathwaite’s final-over blitz.

If that was hard to take then his axe from the 50-over 2019 World Cup squad after four years as a regular player was even worse and he describes the decision as his lowest point in the game.

But he now credits that disappointment and the support of his family as the reason why he is back at a global tournament ready to go one better than five years ago.

“I’m very lucky to have my wife there as well as the kids,” he added. “It gives me a bit of

perspective and the support that I probably needed at that time.

“It’s definitely made me a better person. I don’t think anything that happens in my cricketing career will ever be as bad or disappointing as that.

“It’s what you grew up dreaming about, wanting to play in a home World Cup.

“To be a part of it for four years and miss out was obviously disappointing, but the personal growth has been massive. It’s probably why I’m back playing for England.

“I’ve played every game as if it’s going to be my last and really savouring the moment of pulling on that England shirt.

“When I am finished, whenever that may be, I want fond memories.”

Conan didn’t dare to dream about Lions but talented Irish forward’s right at home with big boys

JACK CONAN’S three Lions Test starts has quietened the voice at the back of his head a little.

Even making the cut for the South Africa trip came as a “shock to the system” for the Leinster and Ireland No.8.

Conan admits he was barely listening in to Warren Gatland’s squad announcement, which indicates where he thought he was in the pecking order.

But after throwing himself into the training camp in Jersey and then playing a starring role in the warm-up victory over Japan, he believed he had a chance of facing the Springboks.

So it proved and the 29-yearold Bray man (right) was one of the Lions’ best performers in their 2-1 series defeat.

“We had the players,” he said, after a long pause when asked if the Lions had fired their best shot in terms of their tactics, which were criticised as being negative.

“Even the gameplan which we were implementing could have been the one that won us a series.

“We just got a few things wrong on the big days and it’s those really small moments that lose Test matches.

“Whatever about the second Test – we were off the pace in that second-half completely – that last Test was down to the wire and had it not been for a few errors it could have been a different score altogether and we were coming out on the right side of it.

“Disappointed to look back and think how close we were to making history.

“It’s special to be a Lion, then it’s special to start a Test and then it’s so incredibly rare to win a series – to have gotten that would have been unbelievable but sadly just wasn’t to be.

“There’s a lot of learnings there for whoever is on the next tour in four years’ time.”

For Conan, it felt like a big leap forward – and he admitted there was some internal vindication in his selection and performances. Even so, when he made his Leinster return – he started against Scarlets last week, and will play in Glasgow tonight before heading into Ireland camp for the November Tests – doubt crept back in.

“Sometimes you have that little voice at the back of your head that doubts yourself a little bit,” he said.

“And I feel a bit vindicated after playing so much and playing such a part in it all.

“I feel it’s maybe a little bit easier to silence that kind of noise a little bit more now because I have a little bit more money in the bank in certain regards.

“It’s just sometimes you get it. Even last week, I hadn’t played a game, I was nervous and stressed about playing my first game back for Leinster, against the Scarlets.

“You kind of doubt yourself a little bit. You think, ‘Oh I want to hit the ground running’ but it’s tough after 10 weeks off to come back and pick up where you left off.

“You’re constantly having those conversations, that inner dialogue with yourself and trying to put it to bed as quick as I can if I have a negative thought or doubt myself.

“I just think, ‘Right if you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, just get on with it and enjoy it’.

“I’ve been better, as the years go on, at being able to deal with that mentally and quietening that voice in my head that says, ‘Oh are you ready?’ or doubts myself.”