Warwickshire's Liam Norwell feeling confident his body will hold up
Warwickshire bowler Liam Norwell believes his heroic end to 2022 has given him plenty of confidence in his body.
On the back of a season plagued by injury misfortunes, including a horrible blow to the head from a lifting delivery while batting, Norwell stood up when counted.
Needing to take 10 wickets in two sessions to avoid relegation, the seamer closed the door on Hampshire after Olly Hannon-Dalby picked up the first scalp.
Without a meaningful delivery bowled in competitive cricket for months, ‘Pasty’ finished with the 12th-best bowling analysis for Warwickshire in first class cricket – 18.5 overs, three maidens, 62 runs for nine wickets. It was a sight to behold.
“I’ve always backed my ability, but I didn’t think I’d be taking nine wickets in an innings,” said Norwell, who was speaking during the club’s pre-season tour to Cape Town. “To keep coming back, mentally more than anything, and just keep telling myself it’s going to be okay and things will work out.
“I feel that’s a massive tick for myself and I think the rewards of all the hard yards I put in on or off the pitch kind of came in that last game.
“I want to play a lot more cricket than I did last year and I want to be on the pitch more for the lads, but I’m glad I managed to put a meaningful contribution in at the end of the season when it really mattered.
“When you put in a performance like that, I think it’s not just for wickets, it’s just for confidence in my body. I know I can go from no cricket with a tear in my elbow to be able to still do it. I think it’s more of the confidence in my body it gave me. I’m hoping that I can just carry on into the season.”
