Outdoor nets in the UK during November? That has been part of England’s preparation for Sri Lanka, with a mantra of “train hard and play easy”.
Alastair Cook’s squad for seven one-day internationals versus the islanders has been hard at work in Loughborough at the National Cricket Performance Centre.
Gearing up for Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly wickets, England have been batting and bowling on specially-prepared outdoor surfaces under the cover of a marquee.
Joe Root, James Taylor and England Batting Coach Mark Ramprakash, all speaking exclusively to ecb.co.uk, rated the facility highly.
Root, having just batted in it, said: “It was pretty tough. It’s actually spinning square, which is actually not bad practice for us in that we’re going to Sri Lanka soon. I’m sure the lads are getting a lot from it.”
Ahead of England's departure this weekend, he added: “The beauty of it is that we’ve got a little advantage before we get out there to have a couple of days on an outdoor surface that’s not too dissimilar to out there.”
In case you missed it, two decent grabs from Chris Jordan and @jamestaylor20 in training https://t.co/ted5KhtYzX
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) November 8, 2014
Root’s fellow batsman Taylor, who is ready for Sri Lanka’s hot weather, said: “It’s slightly strange, but luckily it’s a bit warmer in the tent than it is out here. It is slightly strange. It’s a bit like pre-season really.
“Obviously we’re trying our best for Sri Lanka, which is going to be very different, but we’re trying to replicate it as close as possible.”
Taylor added: “We have a theory of ‘train hard and play easy’. This is definitely hard and tough conditions to bat in but it is all good, preparing us for Sri Lanka.”
Ramprakash, who was promoted to the role of England Batting Coach last week, enthused: “To be able to practice outside in November on very good surfaces, I think the players are very lucky. And it’s just another thing which can help the preparation of the England side.
“We’re going to Sri Lanka. The wickets are essentially very, very similar to Sri Lanka.
“So we’re lucky to have that, make use of it, and that should make that transition to when we land in Sri Lanka, for the guys to acclimatise, even quicker.”