When Luke Wood broke down with a back injury that saw him miss the second half of last season, he knew that something had to change.
As a raw teenager breaking into the Nottinghamshire side, the left-arm seamer threw himself into his task with gusto, racing in to bowl as quick as he could and putting his body on the line.
But now, as a 22-year-old who is beginning to mature as a cricketer, he realises there was little or no thought in terms of body management –something that becomes incredibly important on the senior county circuit.
That’s why, first in the winter with yoga, and then following a side strain sustained in a warm-up game for the 2017 season against Cambridge University by using pilates, the former academy player has learned to better look after his body.
By doing so, it has kept him going all summer through a hectic programme that has seen Notts challenge on all fronts and complete a white ball trophy double.
“I have been doing the yoga since last winter and I’ve found it’s really helped.”
And, as he prepares for Notts’ crucial final game of the season against Sussex, he hopes it will serve him well on the south coast, as well as in the seasons to come.
“When I first broke into the first team, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing in relation to looking after myself and keeping my body in the right kind of state to perform,” he explains.
“I didn’t think too much about what could happen if I didn’t, but having been through a couple of injuries and having had a chat with Ross Herridge (Club Strength and Conditioning Coach), I decided I wanted to do something about it.
“I was quite stiff in my muscles and not very supple, which wasn’t helping with my bowling and was contributing to the injury problems.
“Ross suggested the yoga and I have been doing that since last winter and I’ve found it’s really helped. It’s obviously not everyone’s cup of tea and wouldn’t work for everything, but it works for me.
“The pilates I started doing after I was chatting to Jimmy (Pattinson) about it. He was really keen on it and I’m really into it too. Anything that can help keep me off the treatment table and out on the pitch is worth looking at.”
Sheffield-born and Worksop bred, Wood played his junior cricket from the age of eight with Cuckney Cricket Club where he worked his way up through the ranks.
At the age of 16, he remembers being the leading bowler in the Nottinghamshire Premier League with 42 wickets, after which he was picked up by Notts.
Wood, a member of the Club's NatWest T20 Blast-winning squad earlier this month, observes: “Academy cricket wasn’t too different from playing for my club because it was at the same level, but there was a little more pressure on you to perform.
“There is a definite step up to second team level because then you are not only playing against the best academy players, but also first team players who are not getting into their respective county sides.
“But the biggest jump is from second team cricket to first team. I remember after my debut that I was absolutely shattered. It wasn’t just the physical demands, but having to stay mentally switched on and focused as well.”
“I used to be more of a one-day batsman, but I think my technique is as good as it’s ever been now.”
Wood shot into the national limelight in 2015 when, as a raw 19-year-old, he made a Division One County Championship century against Sussex.
Although always a talented batsman as a youngster, he admits that made him knuckle down and take that part of his game much more seriously.
In fact, Wood – who top scored in both of Notts innings at Northamptonshire last week with a pair of 44s – believes that as he matures he could make himself into a genuine all-rounder.
“I’ve always really enjoyed my batting, but now I put that much more focus on it as I believe I could move up the order,” he says. “I always set myself ambitious targets and I believe if I keep working on it, I could go as high as seven one day.
“I used to be more of a one-day batsman, but I think my technique is as good as it’s ever been now and I’ve been working hard on it with (Head Coach) Peter Moores.
“When I got the hundred at Sussex, it made me think that if I can get one in the top division of English cricket, then I could consistently make a valuable contribution.”
From a bowling perspective, Wood recorded his best match haul in a County Championship fixture as he took 8-83 - 4-52 and 4-31 – in the defeat at Wantage Road.
He is determined to make such performances in four-day cricket a regular occurrence moving forwards.
Wood says: “It’s probably the best I’ve bowled all year. It’s nice to have a performance like that to keep your self-belief. My major asset is my ability to swing the ball, so it was good for me that the ball went quite early.
“Those types of games from a personal point of view, though not the team, are what you play cricket for, and I hope I can start to produce them more often. I feel like I am making progress as a bowler since my breakthrough year and I am better than before I started having injury problems.”
“If we can play like we have done for most of the season then we know we have what it takes to get over the line.”
Ahead of tomorrow’s County Championship game at Hove, which will decide second-placed Notts’ fate in the promotion race, they have a 13-point lead over third-placed Northants.
It means 12 points is the maximum they need to clinch promotion, while a victory would put pressure on leaders Worcestershire, who head the table by six points.
“Of course the pressure will be on for all the teams, and we would have liked to hasve secured promotion by now, but the last two games have happened (defeats to Worcestershire and Northants) and we have to look at what we can affect,” insists Wood.
“We will give our all and if we can play like we have done for most of the season then we know we have what it takes to get over the line.”
Nottinghamshire to face Sussex (from): Jake Libby, Cheteshwar Pujara, Steven Mullaney, Chris Read, Riki Wessels, Harry Gurney, Luke Wood, Matt Carter, Samit Patel, Tom Moores, Brett Hutton, Billy Root, Matt Milnes, Jack Blatherwick.
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