A short write up on the extrordinary season success of Tom Haines in white in Hove
The cricket view is a quaint old fashioned styled apartment block, exiting Palmeira avenue through the plush hallways and into any chosen apartment and all the way through to the balcony and stare out into the beautiful view in front of your eyes then you will focus upon well-cricket. Which cricket? Well, the domestic system in Hove, and taking your attention this year would be no over than Tom Haines. With over 1000 runs to his name and now red ball captaincy it really has been a breakout year for a breakout opener.
#Becoming the first man to reach 1000 runs this county championship season it was a far stretch for the local lad from Crawley. Been through all the teams in Sussex from u-13 to the second XI and now 1st team captain it has been a fairytale path for the Sussex man. Having played 34 matches for 2008 runs at a 34 run average it has been a decent begging of a career for Tom, but the 1176 runs scored at 47.04 with a best of 156 has been a real eyebrow raiser. So what is it? A return of crowds after 18 months? A change in technique/mindset? Added responsibility? Well, lets see what he has to say...
Well, according to a recent interview, Tom Haines accredits his success to increased training this season. Vague? Right. This has been Tom Haines's breakout year so what has been hugely improved? Well, a slight alteration in his back lift to make it come straighter through towards the ball and improve and ease playing straight down the ground. This has widely improved his range and against slower more swing dominated bowlers this shot and playing with a straight bat is a huge asset. This contributing to his excelling in bowler friendly conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXeQIWA9CZE this is a link to a highlight clip off Tom Haines scoring a 50 in 2018, and here is a video of his amazing innings vs Middlesex https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBaAcy2Ytlc you can notice the difference.
So, a minor change in technique has improved his range and scoring ability. (His strike rate has improved) But, that can't be all. Well, as a now near veteran of this incredibly young Sussex team I believe the added pressure and responsibility both before and after captaincy has matured Tom Haines's and therefor been the secret, priory missing key, which has led him to ultimately discovering his true potential and sparking this break out year.
So, a hugely successful year for Tom Haines leaving one question, what next? There is an interesting exciting project going on in Hove. One which Tom Haines is integral in. However, being a young up and coming in experienced team means that they are going to experience a few more tough years similar to this one. It is vital that Sussex can hang on to Tom however if he seeks a title winning top division team then that will be equally accepted and will only mean bigger and better things for the young lad from Crawely.
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