Tiding over the turn

Poking at the ball with hard hands,the 18-year old jabbed at Harmeet Singh’s orthodox turn,before taking a walk to square-leg to calm his nerves. The wrists soon softened into a cocked position,as Peirson used his survival skills to keep the opposition at bay.

“As a keeper,I am forced to watch the ball closely. You become used to watching and reading wrist and finger movements from an enviable position on the field. So I just passed those habits on to my batting,” he says. It was just the result the Australian team management were hoping for,and Peirson passed the hurdle successfully.

“His strength has always been against fast bowlers with the ball coming on. Being an opener,he was well accustomed to fast bouncy pitches and countering quicks back home. But we wanted to check him against spin,on slow and low subcontinental pitches. We all knew that it wasn’t one of his strengths. But he has responded beautifully to our tests,” says David Fitzgerald,the coach of the side.

During his standout knock of 51,Peirson occupied the crease for a little more than an hour and a half — playing as many as 26 dot balls,and stealing 22 singles. While others fell around him in a heap,Peirson stood tall,employing glorious footwork to plant two sixes in the stands. He peppered his innings with three boundaries,all coming against spinners.

“It was tough,very tough,” he says with a cringe. “I faced only three balls from the pacers. It was just spinners from both ends,as hard as it can get for someone like me. But I feel more confident about my abilities now that I came through well.”

The management,though,was less modest about Peirson’s class. “It shows immense versatility. To be able to firstly walk in at No.5 in alien conditions and then guide Australia with supple wrists is incredible. It gives us further motivation and tells us that our program is working.”

The program is simple. Expose the cream of the side to the tough tests early,and grade them on their performances. As Peirson crafted his spin batting skills,the management called the Cricket Australia headquarters to report about their latest find. Explains McFayden: “Had we left him to open,that development would’ve never happened. Within the maneuvering of players in the XI and recalibrating their yardsticks of success,we breed fit-for-internationals such as Jimmy Peirson.”