Hartley: ‘I want to be an all-format player’
Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley has set his sights on becoming an all-format cricketer ahead of the England Lions’ tour to Sri Lanka starting in Colombo today (Wednesday).
Hartley is one of just four players that has been selected to both red-ball and white-ball squads, in what will be his first-ever taste of life in a senior England environment.
The 23-year-old’s double selection comes despite making his most significant strides in the shorter-formats – helping Lancashire to two of the past three Vitality Blast Finals Days – while he has just 10 first-class appearances to date.
Hartley did, however, produce a match-winning display in the most recent of those, Lancashire’s season-ending LV= Insurance County Championship win over champions Surrey when he claimed a maiden five-for and a match haul of eight wickets.
“As far as I’m concerned I want to have my mind open to playing all formats. I’m too young to go down one path,” Hartley said.
“I want to keep playing and keep getting better and those wickets against Surrey proved the progress I have been able to make at Lancashire with the red ball.
“This England Lions tour gives me a great opportunity to build on that and challenge myself. We have a great environment at Lancashire which has allowed me to grow and work on all aspects of my game, which enables opportunities like this to come along.
“I’ve never been involved in an England environment before and I’ve never been to Sri Lanka so it will all be new, which is exciting. It will be good to mix things up and talk to players from other counties and understand how they do things and to talk to listen to the ideas of some other coaches and be exposed to that.”
Hartley will have plenty of knowledge to draw from with one of England’s spin greats, Graeme Swann, to be a mentor on the tour, while former England international Min Patel is the spin bowling coach.
“That opportunity to be in an England environment and to understand what that is like is something I can’t wait for,” Hartley said.
“It’s everything that comes with that - from speaking with other players and coaches but also just being on tour and having an opportunity to go to a place like Sri Lanka not only to learn how to play in those conditions, but also to experience the culture there as well.”
The tour begins today with a warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI. The first of two Tests against Sri Lanka A begins in Galle on January 31 before a three-match one-day international series.
While Hartley will hope to get the opportunity to showcase his skills in the two Tests, it is in white-ball where his all-round game with bat and ball as well as an expert fielder on the rope that has marked him as a short-format player of much promise.
“I’ve played a lot more games in the white-ball format so I do feel like I have progressed my game a lot more in the last few years,” he said.
“I feel like I have performed in high-pressure matches and I want to experience more of that to push myself on.
“If that can make me a better player going into next season that will only benefit Lancashire. It has been tough reaching two Finals Day and not winning it, but those are the standards we set at the club and I want to help us to take that next step.”
Hartley admits that means working on all parts of his game, including in the field where he has become one of the safest pair of hands in the deep in domestic cricket.
“I have quite large hands so everyone thinks I have to go on the rope and there’s no excuses,” he said. “I take pride in my fitness and my fielding. You cop a bit from the crowd but it is all fun and games.”
Lancashire will start their Blast campaign with an immediate return to Edgbaston in May, when they take part in the new competition-opening Vitality Blast Off.
The Lightning will play Derbyshire Falcons while Birmingham Bears host Yorkshire Vikings as part of the day’s double-header, in front of what is expected to be a packed Edgbaston to mirror the atmosphere of Finals Day.
“I quite like the idea to get the competition started and get that focus of interest from the opening match,” Hartley said.
“It is a great place to play at Edgbaston – almost as good as Old Trafford - and if they can get the atmosphere like they do on Finals Day it will be a great day for everyone.
“I am sure the place will be bouncing to get the Blast started. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Early bird tickets are available to Vitality Blast Off now. The offer allows you to buy tickets from £25, which includes both matches, before February 21 so that you can secure your place at the Vitality Blast season-opener.