INTERVIEW: Luke Wells talks Blast form as he approaches T20 milestone
Luke Wells has had to remain patient when it comes to T20 cricket, but the Lancashire star is finally being rewarded as he gets set for a milestone appearance later this week.
This Friday, against Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground, the Lightning all-rounder will play his 50th match in 20-over cricket - almost 13 years after his first, for Sussex in 2011.
In many ways, you could say that at the age of 33 Wells has been there and done it in the game of cricket. In truth, in T20 cricket he has only just bought the t-shirt.
But it is proving to be a perfect fit for the top order batter and leg-spin bowler.
“It’s a strange one for me,” he said.
“I still pinch myself that I’m sort of playing a part in T20 cricket having played so little of it for so long, So far this year, that I’ve performed better in the white ball game than the red is a little bit topsy-turvy.
“But I’m obviously really pleased to contribute to wins.”
Taking a look at some of Wells’s stats is interesting. He has played 36 times for Lancashire in the Blast, hitting 590 runs with three fifties and taking 29 wickets.
This season, in helping Lancashire win four out of their first five North Group fixtures, the left-hander has posted scores of 49 not out, 34 and 66 opening the batting. He has also taken seven wickets, including a trio of two-wicket hauls.
Of the other 13 games which he played, five came for Sussex between 2011 and 2014 - he didn’t make an appearance at all for the seven years before his Red Rose debut in 2021 - seven came in last year’s Hundred for Welsh Fire and one came in February for Sharjah Warriors in the UAE-based ILT20 competition.
He’s by no means ‘Have bat, will travel’ like some players are these days, but getting noticed outside of county cricket is fantastic for a player so popular within Lancashire Cricket.
Mind you, he might not be too popular at home if it gets to the stage this winter where he has to choose between an overseas league or a family holiday!
“Nothing like that’s happened yet, so that would be a good problem to have,” he smiled.
He continued: “Initially when I came here (to Lancashire), it was a big surprise getting into the team - getting in more as a bowler who batted six, seven or eight.
“But, since then, I feel like I’ve grown immeasurably as a T20 player.
“I’ve really worked hard on my bowling. I’ve changed a lot in how I bowl now. I worked a lot on that with Carl Crowe not last winter but the winter before.
“I’ve changed the method of my bowling, very much for T20 cricket - a lot quicker, less sidespin and less drop and loop on the ball. That’s helped me, and I feel quite confident when I’m out there with the ball. I feel like, more often than not, if I bowl my best ball, I’m not going to get hit.
“Bowling’s stressful in T20 cricket. It’s just about managing anxiety and hoping you don’t get hit for six, really. If a wicket comes along you take it.
“Equally, I feel like I’ve developed a good method, especially at the top of the order. I’m confident I can hit a six to a bowler’s stock ball now, which I never really felt like I could do.
“I know that if I’m two off 10 balls, like I was against Birmingham on Friday, I have the confidence in my ability to hit a couple of sixes and catch up.
“Having trust and confidence in your ability makes it less surprising because it’s what you train for and believe you can do.”
Wells, a native of Eastbourne, has been outstanding in all formats in his three-and-a-half-years at Emirates Old Trafford.
Ok, things didn’t quite work out for him at the start of this season in the Vitality County Championship - one fifty in 12 innings, seven matches - but by and large, he’s been very good against the red ball.
However, with 24 first-class centuries to his name, we’ve all known his capabilities in the longer format.
Is, therefore, his progression with the white ball more rewarding than his contributions against the red since signing for Lancashire ahead of summer 2021?
“When I came here, I’d only played five T20 games, so the stats were fairly irrelevant. I’d played five games across 10 or 11 years, and two or three of them were in my first year. There were a couple of tour games in there, and that was it,” he said.
“I’d never really had the chance to learn and develop.
“Also, when you get told that you’re not necessarily a T20 player, you might believe it.
“Coming here was a breath of air. It was a case of, ‘Why not?’ as opposed to ‘Why?’. That was a really good change for me.
“I’ve played 190 first-class games and it’s my 15th year as a pro. But I still feel like a reasonably young T20 player.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m still desperate to contribute to wins in the Championship and put my early-season form right. It hasn’t happened for me so far this year.
“But I do feel really excited about T20 cricket.
“Four-day cricket can be brutal when it’s not going well. So the opportunity to come out with less consequence if you get out, more freedom (has been good).
“Also for me, I’ve got two attributes in this format.
“If one doesn’t come off, I feel like I can potentially change the game with the ball or the bat, or visa versa. That takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders.
“I’m just really enjoying it.
“But I am still determined to contribute to wins, whatever the format, moving forwards because coming here and being a part of a team which has challenged for all trophies has also been a breath of fresh air. Long may it continue.”
And Lancashire are certainly challenging in this season’s Blast. Ahead of their trip to Leicestershire on Friday evening - their first of two games in three days, the Red Rose sit top of the North Group with four wins from five.
“We’re full of confidence, but we’re learning all the time. There are areas to improve,” added Wells.
“That’s always a good sign - if you still like you can improve when you’re beating some of the best teams in the group. Hopefully we can keep it going.”