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Liam Norwell Blog

4 March 2014

Liam Norwell gives supporters an insight into how he has spent his winter and how a change of life off the pitch is set to have a positive effect on his cricket this summer.

In his winter blog, the young pace bowler writes:

This winter I’ve learnt a lot in and outside of cricket and I feel it’s been my most productive and enjoyable winter to date.

At the end of last season, a season I was personally very disappointed with, I felt very lucky to be offered a contract extension, I made the decision that this winter I was going to go back to basics.

That began with not having October off and getting in the gym most days to improve my core and leg strength, with the help of Griff and Beast (Steve Griffin and Chris Bodman), our outstanding physio and Strength and Conditioning team. So, by the time we started full training again in November, my injury troubles of last season were all but gone and I was raring to go.

A large part of this winter has been used trying to simplify all aspects of my game. The main part of this was getting my bowling action and run-up as smooth and easy as it can be. Both are things that really troubled me during last season.

I messed around with them a lot and tried to be a lot of different bowlers rolled into one instead of just bowling like me. Our new bowling coach Mark Thorburn has helped hugely with this and we’ve gotten to a stage where I’m very confident in my action and run-up heading towards our first outdoor practice in just over a weeks’ time.

To go along with this, I worked hard with Richard Dawson before he left on my fielding and batting, again trying to make everything as simple as possible. I’ve come to realise this winter that cricket is as simple and basic as you want to make it. A lot of the sport is in your head and just enjoying the cricket for what it is, a game, can actually help you improve as much as anything.

Apart from cricket, I’ve really tried to get involved with the lads a lot more away from the ground this winter. Simple things like going to the pub quiz or meeting for a coffee have made such a difference to how confident I feel within the squad.

Although I’m never going to be one of the loudest or most confident players in the team, I’ve got a lot better at getting my point across during discussions and team meetings, which I feel can only be a good thing.

A big help this winter has been living with Jack Taylor, who is one of the louder and more confident members of the squad. He’s dragged me out to socialise with the lads and office staff (at times kicking and screaming because I wanted to stay in) on more than one occasion.

Although going out for a beer with the lads may not sound like it can help with my development as a cricketer, I feel things like these have really helped me grow and mature as a player and a person, which is only going to have a positive impact on me.

As well as training, I’ve looked to broaden my horizons away from cricket, something I did with a work experience course at Boston Tea Party, which I enjoyed hugely.

I’ve had the idea for a year or so now that once cricket is over for me, I’d love to own and run a coffee shop. So, after a few discussions with the marketing department, my training was arranged and I was thrown straight in at the deep end at the new café on Nevil Road.

It was a great experience, I really enjoyed my shifts behind the counter and it reiterated just how lucky I am to be in the job I’m in. It has shown me that one day I’d love to have a coffee shop of my own, but right now I don’t want to be doing anything other than cricket.

I’m looking forward to this season immensely, I feel I’m in a great position to help contribute across all formats and help the team have a successful season.

This winter has taught me a lot, but more than anything it’s shown me that cricket is there to be enjoyed and if I let myself enjoy it instead of letting it get me down and frustrate me, I’ll be much better for it across all aspects of life.

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