PEARS batsman Tom Fell is looking forward to working with batting coach Kevin Sharp this winter as he aims to bounce back in style from a challenging 2017 season.
Fell scored 1,000 Championship runs the last time the county played top flight cricket in 2015.
He found it difficult to repeat that form last summer and will “go back to basics” in the nets from January after two months of primarily fitness work rather than head to Australia as has been the case the previous two winters.
He said: “I think (working at Malvern College) is what I need. Before Christmas, I’ve got a couple of months where I don’t need to touch a cricket bat, working on my fitness and all that kind of thing.
“Then just start again in January and go back to the basics and prepare myself for next year and get back to where I was.”
“Will Kevin Sharp be a big help? He has been brilliant. He’s been really good this summer as well, just someone to talk to really.
“He offers a lot on the mental side of things and he’s experienced things like this throughout his career and often repeats stories of the stuff he went through.
“He has been a really good help with that and I will look forward to working with him for a few months while I’m here and I’m sure he will be able to help me out.”
Fell added: “Was it one of those years? I think so, I hope so. With cricket, you start to hit a bad run of form and it almost has a knock-on effect and your confidence goes pretty quickly.
“For me it has just been a case of that. I’ve been battling with a bit of confidence and almost getting in the middle and just not being myself, not playing the way I usually play and it’s been really tough.
“It’s a very difficult sport, especially as a batter, when things aren’t going well. There is no hiding place.
“But so many good things came from the season from a team perspective.”