Glenn Phillips and the introduction of the ‘switch cover drive’ as he hit a four and then a six over extra-cover while left-handed.
Ten years ago, Kevin Pietersen introduced the switch-hit to the world. Since then, players like David Warner and Glenn Maxwell have incorporated it into their shotmaking repertoire. Glenn Phillips, a batter from New Zealand, has now literally taken the shot into uncharted area.
Batters typically switch hands and pull or sweep the ball into what they have designated as the ‘leg’ side of the field. Phillips had the opposite effect on offspinner Dean Foxcroft while playing for Otago in the Super Smash against Central Districts.
Midway through his run-up, Phillips, batting in the 19th over, changed from his typical right-handed stance to a left-handed one with the bowler. This ball was landed outside the left-hander’s off stump by Foxcroft. With a shot that may be characterised as a full-blooded switch cover drive, Phillips sent the ball to the boundary.
Then, Phillips went one step further and took a left-hand batter’s stance against left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox on the fifth delivery of the 20th over. Notably, Warner has occasionally switched hands before the bowler starts his run-up, but even he might not have been able to execute what came next.
Lennox bowled from left-arm around, angling the ball across Phillips in an attempt to fall far from his hitting arc after Central Districts moved out what was now the leg-side field. Phillips reached out and cleared the extra-cover boundary by making enough contact on a lofted drive.
In Otago’s 41-run victory, Phillips was named Player of the Match after finishing on an undefeated 90 off 48 balls. In all, he smashed four sixes and seven fours, one of which landed on the stadium roof and prompted the umpires to request a new ball.
“I have done it for a little while in the nets, but never quite brought it out,” Phillips said of his switch cover drives during an interview with TVNZ. “Obviously it is a little bit of an interesting thing, the switch-around in a game of professional cricket … the other day I was stroking it better in the nets when I was left-handed than when I was right-handed.
“So it sort of made sense to at least try and bring it out when there was nothing left to lose.”