Kirtley's revised action approved
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Your support makes all the difference.It has taken something in the order of five months and a few days, but yesterday, after a further three hours of waiting at Lord's, the action of the Sussex fast bowler James Kirtley was finally approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Kirtley's action was queried on an England A tour back in 1999, but on that occasion he was immediately cleared by the ECB. This time around the suspicions of the match referee, Colonel Naushad Ali, were aroused during England's opening one-day international – the first of Kirtley's three representative appearances to date – against Zimbabwe in Harare at the beginning of October.
The Sussex vice-captain was delighted by the announcement following three hours of deliberation by the ECB Bowling Review Group chaired by David Acfield and promised an improved product. "I have been working very hard with the biomechanics expert Paul Hurrion and the bowling coach Bob Cottam," said Kirtley. "The experience of being under suspicion is not a pleasant one."
"My action has changed noticeably. My arm is coming up higher and as a consequence I am getting a little bit more bounce. I think I have also got quicker."
"I am looking forward to the challenge of First Division cricket with Sussex and concentrate on my performances there. Hopefully, that will lead to me again enjoying the honour of representing my country."
After a winter of cold-eyed intent and long hours in the nets Kirtley took his new style up to Alsager College in Cheshire last week and sent down ball after ball for the ECB to film random deliveries and then use technology to break down the action and scrutinise it.
"I can't wait to get out there and see how well it works," said Kirtley. "Our first game of the season is against Surrey at The Oval and I am excited, I want to get stuck in. I want to do well for Sussex.
"I took 75 wickets last year when Sussex won promotion. The challenge for me now is to do that in Division One." And with his new action.
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