The New Zealander with more test centuries than any of his team mates is now doing his bit for the bowlers club and- against all predictions (as former England coach Lloyd will surely claim)- his turned himself into a useful quasi-allrounder.

Initially regarded as a hard-hitting batsman with the ability to bowl a few ODI overs, Astle has developed his second string to the stage where he is now a genuine consideration in the test team�s seam attack, while still maintaining his role as the side�s most productive run-scorer.

At the end of the Indian series in October last year, the 28 year old had scored five centuries in tests, and seven in ODI�s, and, although his added value with the ball was becoming more apparent during the series in England, it was in the chaos and heat of India that he really started raising eyebrows.

Included in the five wickets he took while boosting his test tally to 20 were the scalps of opening batsmen Devang Gandhi (twice) and Sadagopan Ramesh, and in-form left handed Sourav Ganguly, with MSK Prasad completing the haul in the second innings at Ahmedabad.

It wasn�t just that Astle was taking wickets, he was reserving the ball and skidding on to the batsmen, his wicket-to-wicket line makes him an extremely tidy option after the new ball bowlers had tried.

"I didn�t know what to make of that David Lloyd comment" He said after arriving back from India. "I�m happy my bowling�s come along, though, because it�s good for the team, it�s good for the bowlers, and it�s naturally good for me."

"There was need to work a bit on that side of my game, particularly after Gavin Larsen retired, but it turned out to be a useful option in the tests as well, and I�ve managed to break up a few partnerships."

"I guess I�m more likely to be batting at No.5 these days now that Flem has settled in at No.4, and playing the role of a middle-order batsman who bowls a few overs suits me down to the ground."

Engaged to be married to Kelly Winter on 8 April, four days after the last game of the Australian tour, Astle says the team has matured along with the players over the past few years and now has the experience and street-nous to give any opponent a run for their money.

The dyed-in-the-wool Cantabrian points to the dogged fight of the New Zealand team during pressure-laden situations in both England and India as evidence of the raised consciousness within the side, and a reflection of the players� individual and collective sense of belief.

"It�s taken a lot of hard work to get where we are now; the standards weren�t as high before Stumper (Steve Rixon) took over." He said "But through the diligence of people like John Graham, Gilbert Enoka and Stumper, we were able to lift our playing standards- and we now have to make sure they�re maintained."

"When I first came into the team there didn�t seem to be many players to learn off, but that�s not the case these days. Players like Daniel Vettori and Craig McMillan are pretty sufficient anyway, but I know through experience it�s best to have people around you who have at least played for a while, and that�s where we are now."

"There isn�t enough depth yet but things are a lot better than they used to be. The challenge now is to perpetuate that strength and continue producing top class young players who put pressure on the incumbents. It�s a delicate balance, but a quite vital one."

Astle made his test debut against Zimbabwe at Hamilton in the 95/96 summer, a year after he played his first ODI against the West Indies in Auckland. Looking back, he can scarcely believe how green he was then, or how he managed to get to this stage.

There was the occasional teeth-gnashing loss of form (like when he bombed out in the 99 World Cup after being ranked as the seventh best ODI batsman on the planet) but Astle has always managed to bounce back-and usually as a stronger player for the experience.

In India, for example, he followed up his modest efforts in the tests (192 runs from five innings, and one 50) with an excellent in the ODIs, topping the New Zealand batting averages, with 234 runs at 46.80, including at top score of 120, and a strike rate of 86.02.

"Every cricketer has a bad trot at some stage, but the upshot of that is you usually emerge a better player" he says "You come out of it a lot tougher and with a greater understanding of your game."

"I guess everyone has their own way of dealing with a slump and for me, it�s just two things: work hard and keep it simple."

"I�ve found that, personally, it�s no good for me to analyse everything down to the finest detail. It just distracts me from the bigger picture and I usually end up concretrating on the wrong things."

To help in this regard, he has a pre-batting check list. Nothing dramatic, or incredibly inspiring. Just four points he tries to keep in the back of his mind whenever he walks out into the middle. It goes like this �Keep Still- Time the ball, don�t smash it- Keep your head level- Be tough.

But even then, after 12 months of non-top international cricket the mind can start to play tricks, and Astle says the past year or so has helped him appreciate more fully the need to get away from the game in order to keep a balanced perspective.

The constant travelling and living out of suitcases, the routine of a team environment, and the on going separation from friends and family create a mental fatigue which can be just as damaging as any physical problems, he says.

"It gets to the stage, where you can�t see the woods for the trees. You�re eating, breathing and sleeping the game, and- like any job or pursuit- it�s difficult not to get stale and lose concentration."

"I think we saw a bit of that in India (late last year), but just a short rest can make all the difference and- after just a week or so off- everyone was raring to go again."

None more so than Nathan Astle.

Back to articles

Home