Chris Tremlett: I came in at a difficult situation
England were in a spot of bother when stumper Mark Wallace was snared by off spinner Mulewa Dharmichand
Anand Vasu
21-Jan-2001
England were in a spot of bother when stumper Mark Wallace was snared
by off spinner Mulewa Dharmichand. At 313/6 it looked like they could
lose their way after setting up such a strong platform. In walked
Chris Tremlett. With the hopes of the England camp resting on his
broad shoulders, Tremlett went about his task in earnest. "I came in
at a difficult situation. Initially I just tried to play straight and
pick up the ones and twos. Later on in my innings I decided to have a
go at the bowling and some big hits came off," he said.
Having lost his brother in a car crash just before leaving for India,
Tremlett arrived on tour late. When he got the opportunity though, he
did not let it go. Making the most of the practice match against South
Zone, Tremlett prepared himself for the Test match. "Scoring runs in
the practice game gave me a lot of confidence. Everything's going
according to plan so far," said the tall Hampshire lad.
Although the practice match had given him a boost in confidence, one
match is hardly enough to acclimatise to conditions in the
subcontinent. Chris Tremlett conceded that there were still
difficulties, "The heat is the main thing. In England I would bowl
seven or eight overs in a spell. Here you can only sustain yourself
for four or five overs."
When someone is six feet seven inches tall and says he bowls
mediumpace, you have visions of a big strong lad pounding in and
getting the ball to whistle around batsmen's ears. While he's big and
strong, Chris Tremlett certainly isn't express pace. "I'm not trying
to bowl as quick as I can. The wickets don't really help me and I'm
just trying to get the ball in the right spot. I'm trying to use my
height to my best advantage. If I can extract a bit of bounce I might
be able to surprise batsman," explains the allrounder.
If his explanation is anything to go by, Tremlett's attitude to the
game is indeed a healthy one. Where did he get it from? From his
father or grandfather who played for Hampshire and England
respectively? Who does Chris Tremlett look up to? "Glen McGrath. He's
a good role model I think. He bowls a good line and gets the job done.
In the batting department it would have to be someone like Lance
Klusener, who likes to give the ball a bit of a hit. Or maybe someone
like Mark Waugh who plays so straight," replies Tremlett.
He's not a Mark Waugh, Lance Klusener or Glen McGrath. What he is, is
a very promising young Tremlett. Playing a significant role with both
bat and ball, Tremlett is going to prove to be a key member of this
England Under-19 side.